Beating the Indian cricket crew in their very own yard, particularly within the Check format, has to rank among the many hardest assignments throughout sport. Whereas residence benefit may be very a lot a factor in cricket, the place climate and soil high quality may be as influential for a crew as can a stadium stuffed with cheering followers, the Indians are recognized for taking that benefit to a different stage.
India haven’t misplaced a sequence throughout format on residence soil since 2019, their final defeat.neting by the hands of Australia in March 2019. As for the Check format, India have misplaced a house Check sequence simply thrice for the reason that begin of the brand new millennium, the final of which was towards Andrew Strauss’s England within the 2012-13 season.
Even legendary groups similar to Steve Waugh’s Australia discovered the going powerful, as was the case within the iconic 2001 sequence during which they got here inside an inch of conquering the ‘Remaining Frontier’ — Australia’s first Check sequence win on Indian soil since 1969-70.
The fortress, nevertheless, was lastly breached just a little over three years later when the Aussie crew, led by Adam Gilchrist, dished out the efficiency of a lifetime to stun the Indians in their very own yard.
It was a feat that not solely cemented Australia’s standing as one of many biggest groups of all time throughout sport, however would additionally encourage future generations of Australian cricketers, together with the Pat Cummins-led aspect that has arrived in India for a Check sequence on the again of a dominant residence summer season.
Forward of the four-Check sequence between India and Australia that begins this Thursday in Nagpur, we check out how the Gilchrist and Co pulled off the mighty feat almost twenty years in the past:
1st Check, Bengaluru, 6-10 October 2004
Gilchrist took over as captain from Ponting after the latter suffered a thumb harm throughout the Champions Trophy semi-final towards England in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Ponting’s harm additionally resulted in a slot opening up for the then-uncapped Michael Clarke. And boy would the long run captain make it rely on Check debut, smashing 151 on the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to assist Australia submit a large 474 on the board.
https://www.youtube.internet/watch?v=rDh5HiS5XPQ
The Aussies determined towards imposing follow-on after amassing a 228-run first innings lead. Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh adopted up a first-innings five-for with a haul of 6/78 to limit Australia to 228, however chasing 457 was all the time going to be a Herculean job for the Indians even when they had been doing so in their very own situations, particularly towards an assault.netprising Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. Consequently, they crumbled to a 217-run defeat.
2nd Check, Chennai, 14-18 October 2004
Not for the primary time, India would produce an admirable fightback after getting outplayed within the first match of a house Check sequence towards Australia. The guests, electing to bat for a second sport in a row, had been going robust on 189/2 when an impressed spell from Anil Kumble (7/48) helped set off a spectacular collapse, ensuing within the Aussies shedding their subsequent eight wickets for simply 46 runs. Virender Sehwag, opening with Yuvraj Singh on this sport after Aakash Chopra in Bengaluru, smashed a spectacular 155 to assist India submit 376.
Regardless of the Australian batters’s fightback of their second essay, using on Damien Martyn’s ton to submit 369, the 141-run first innings lead ensured India had been set a really chaseable 229. Had it not been for rain washing all the remaining time out, the hosts would’ve fancied levelling the sequence in type.
third Check, Nagpur, 26-29 October, 2004
The third Check in Nagpur witnessed India captain Sourav Ganguly stage a last-minute pull-out, handing over the reins to his deputy Rahul Dravid with the sequence nonetheless on the road. Whereas a groin harm was cited because the official cause for Dada’s absence, with Harbhajan additionally sitting out after.netplaining of meals poisoning, some speculated that the inexperienced high ready on the VCA Stadium towards the needs of the Indian crew administration was the true cause behind Ganguly’s pull-out.
For a 3rd sport in a row, Australia elected to bat first with Martyn scoring a second century in a row to assist Australia submit 398. The Aussie pacers then thrived on the inexperienced observe with Jason Gillespie (5/56) and McGrath (3/27) getting the lion’s share of the wickets, bowling India out for 185. The second half of the sport could be simply as one-sided: Australia declaring on 329/5 earlier than bowling India out for 200 to lastly conquer the ‘Remaining Frontier’ with a medical 342-run win.
4th Check, Mumbai (Wankhede), 3-5 November, 2004
The floor for the fourth Check on the Wankhede Stadium couldn’t have been extra completely different from what was on provide in Nagpur, with the curator making ready a observe that even then-Mumbai Cricket Affiliation president and former batter Dilip Vengsarkar described as unsuitable for Check cricket. As many as 40 wickets fell in just a little over two days’ time, although for a change, the Indians would emerge triumphant on the finish of the low-scoring thriller.
https://www.youtube.internet/watch?v=zzA4AFVb47U
The Aussies collected a 99-run first innings lead after bowling India, who lastly received the toss and elected to bat, for 104. The Indian batters had been marginally higher of their second outing with VVS Laxman (69) and Sachin Tendulkar (55) scoring fifties although Clarke’s 6/9 ensured they barely crossed 200, they might nonetheless have wanted a miracle to stop the Aussies from chasing down 107 to.netplete a 3-0 sequence victory.
Fortunately for the hosts, the miracle got here within the type of a fifer for Harbhajan (5/29) who, together with Murali Karthik (3/32), bowled the Aussies out for 93 to assist the hosts register an exciting 13-run win.
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