NEW DELHI: With an astounding victory in the first Test against Australia in Perth, the Indian cricket team is on a high. But now that’s in the past and the second Test is set to get underway at the Adelaide Oval from December 6.
The day/night Test could well be the toughest game for India on the tour as Australia are yet to taste defeat with the pink ball here and the visitors don’t have fond memories from their last fixture in 2020. India were bundled out for just 36 in their second innings and registered their lowest total in the format.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Overall, India have played 13 Tests at the Adelaide Oval and have won only 2, lost 8 and managed to draw 3 matches.
India played their first Test at Adelaide in January 1948 under the captaincy of Lala Amarnath and despite centuries by Vijay Hazare in both the innings, they lost the match by an innings and 16 runs.
India’s second Test at Adelaide in December 1967 saw them losing the match by 146 runs. The third Test at Adelaide in January 1978 saw India fighting hard but the Aussies ended up victorious by 47 runs.
After three consecutive defeats at Adelaide, the visitors finally managed to draw a Test at the venue in January 1981 under the captaincy of the great Sunil Gavaskar. The result was possible due to Sandeep Patel who smashed 174 despite batting in the Test after sustaining injuries to his head, inflicted by bouncers from Australia’s fast bowlers during the first Test at Sydney.
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Four years later, the legendary Kapil Dev led from the front as captain by taking 8 wickets in Australia’s first innings and Gavaskar hit a brilliant 166 in the first innings total of 520 as India drew the December 1985 fixture at the venue.
More disappointment was in store in 1992 as chasing 372, captain Mohammad Azharuddin hit 106 but India were bowled out for 333 runs to lose their next Test by 38 runs.
During India’s 1999 tour to Australia under the captaincy of Sachin Tendulkar, the first Test was played at Adelaide. Chasing 396, India lost the Test by 285 runs.
India, however, made history in their next Test at Adelaide in December 2003 and took a 1-0 series lead against Australia in Australia for the first time ever.
The Aussies racked up 556 and India were 85/4 but Rahul Dravid (233) and VVS Laxman (148) put up a 303-run stand for the fifth wicket. Ajit Agarkar then took 6/41 and Dravid hit an unbeaten 72 as India won the match by 4 wickets.
India’s next tour to Australia came in 2007-08 when all hell broke loose due to the Monkeygate scandal. By the time the teams reached Adelaide for the fourth and last Test of the series in January 2008, the Aussies already had an unassailable lead in the series.
Sachin Tendulkar hit 153 in the first innings and it was Virender Sehwag‘s 151 in the second essay which ensured a draw.
For the next tour of Australia in 2011-12, some seniors left for Australia early to acclimatise to the conditions but even that couldn’t prevent India losing the series 0-4.
Kohli’s love affair with Adelaide
In the fourth Test of the series in Adelaide in January 2012, a young Virat Kohli roared to his maiden Test century. Although India lost the match by 298 runs, Kohli’s hundred established him as a key player in India’s Test line-up and marked the beginning of a prolific Test career.
Kohli continued his love affair with Adelaide when India next toured Australia, hitting twin hundreds on captaincy debut in December 2014. India came close to an improbable victory but fell short, losing by 48 runs.
Historic win
India’s victory in Adelaide in December 2018 during the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was a historic moment in Indian cricket as it set the tone for India’s maiden Test series win on Australian soil.
Cheteshwar Pujara scored 123 but India were bowled out for 250. The bowlers did well to earn a crucial 15-run lead and the visitors set a challenging target of 323 for Australia. Jasprit Bumrah (3/68), Mohammed Shami (3/65), and Ashwin (3/92) starred with the ball as Australia were bowled out for 291 for a 31-run victory.
This was India’s first Test win in Adelaide since 2003 and marked the beginning of India’s historic 2-1 series victory, the first-ever Test series win by an Asian team in Australia.
India’s next tour of Australia began on a disastrous note as the infamous 36 all out in Adelaide occurred during the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December 2020.
Captain Virat Kohli left the series after the Adelaide Test for the birth of his child, handing the reins to Ajinkya Rahane.
From thereon, India made an incredible comeback by winning the Melbourne Test under Rahane’s leadership, drew the Sydney Test in heroic fashion and clinched the series 2-1 with a historic victory at the Gabba in Brisbane.
The 36 all out remains a stark reminder of cricket’s unpredictability and resilience as India transformed their fortunes dramatically in the same series. It now remains to be seen what Adelaide has in store for India.