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India vs Australia past encounters: Part 2 of 4

In the second instalment, we cover the six Test series played between 1968 and 1987.

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Allan Border during Australia's tour to India in 1979 © Getty Images
Allan Border during Australia’s tour to India in 1979 © Getty Images

We continue on our journey down the memory lane to look at the past series contested between India and Australia. In the second instalment, Arunabha Sengupta covers the six Test series played between 1968 and 1987.

7. Australia in India 1968-69 Australia 3 India 1

It was after this series that captain Bill Lawry claimed that Ian Chappell was the best batsman of the world. And during and immediately after the tour, several Indian youngsters started to sport long hair. It was much before Amitabh Bachchan had established himself as the angry young man. The youth of the country were imitating the Australian vice-captain.

Chappell not only scored plenty of runs, he also had loads of charisma.

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Throughout the series Garth McKenzie was exceptional, Alan Connolly excellent in support while the breakthroughs they provided helped Ashley Mallett to outspin the Indian trio of Bishan Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan in their own backyard.

The first Test at the Brabourne Stadium was played under sombre cloud of controversy, public outrage and riots. Venkataraghavan, at the time a nine-Test old off-spinner of promise, had been omitted from the side. And ironically, he was the one who found himself at the centre of the mayhem that unfolded in the Test.

The decision of the selectors was met with huge outcry. Two Tests earlier, Venkat had picked up nine wickets against New Zealand, and protests rang out loud and clear from all corners. Subrata Guha, the medium-pacer from Bengal selected as the third seamer along with Rusi Surti and Abid Ali, nobly offered to stand down. An off-spinner for a medium-pacer was not the ideal bargain, and did little for the variety of the attack with Erapalli Prasanna already in the side. But, by the time Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi walked out for the toss alongside Australian skipper Bill Lawry, Venkat had made his way into the team list.

Keith Stackpole’s century and some superb bowling by McKenzie provided the Australians with advantage in the first innings. On the fourth afternoon, with India struggling in the second innings, Venkat was given out caught behind when according to wicketkeeper Brian Taber, “He missed it by a foot.” The public reacted vehemently, setting stands on fire. The Australian cricketers grabbed stumps to defend themselves in case the mob spilled into the ground.

It ended in a nine wicket victory for the visitors early on the fifth day.

The second Test at Kanpur saw the arrival of a hero. The lithe and little form of Gundappa Viswanath breathed fresh life into the soul of Indian cricket. From a rather precarious 147 for five in the second innings, the young Karnataka batsman’s wristy artistry propelled India to safety. The century on debut was somewhat overshadowed by Pele’s 1000th goal scored on the same day in another part of the world, but India had unearthed a batting genius.

It seemed that the promise of a fresh start was to be followed through. Bedi and Prasanna combined in a tantalising spinning web and the Australian’s could not get out of the trap at Delhi. Ashok Mankad’s brilliant 97 gave India the much needed batting impetus and the series was squared with a seven wicket victory in spite of Ian Chappell’s 138 and a 73-run first innings deficit.

Controversy continued to dog the series as Lawry was accused of striking a photographer in Calcutta. The Indians, however, could not carry on the good work. McKenzie ran through the first Indian innings to make the fourth Test a no contest. Bedi fought valiantly to put India back in the game, but Chappell’s mastery over spin saw him score an impeccable 99 to seize the defining first innings lead. India succumbed by 10 wickets.

The fifth Test at Madras saw another young man make his way into the Indian side. Mohinder Amarnath batted at number eight and opened the bowling for the country. However, the match belonged to Mallett. With rains delaying the preparation of the pitch till just a week before the match, the Australian off-spinner picked up ten wickets as the wicket crumbled.

After conceding a 95-run first innings lead, Prasanna and Venkat brought India back in the game by skittling Australia for 153 in their second knock. But in spite of a brilliant third wicket partnership between Ajit Wadekar and Viswanath, the rest of the batting collapsed. By the fourth afternoon of this six-day Test, the visitors had won the series.

The Australians complained about poor facilities, were disgruntled about the shabby hotels and inadequate food. But they clinched the series 3-1. It would be three and a half decades before they would win a series in India again.

8. India in Australia 1977-78 Australia 3 India 2

It was a series on which was focused the attention of the cricket world.

That December morning 41-year-old Bobby Simpson, hauled out of comfortable retirement,  walked out to toss with Bishan Bedi at the Gabba. On that same day Ian Chappell also joined Clive Lloyd in the centre of the cavernous football stadium in the outskirts of Melbourne called VFL Park — for a toss superintended by Garry Sobers.

The Kerry Packer circus was underway having recruited the best cricketers of Australia, West Indies and South Africa, and a trusted lieutenant from England. All the major Australian players had defected except Jeff Thomson.

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Craig Serjeant had discovered that mediocre form in three Ashes Tests elevated one to Australian vice-captaincy. Paul Hibbert and Gary Cosier opened, David Oglivie was first down, and Peter Toohey batted at number six. There were six Australian debutants in the traditional Test match. Most of them would not have made the Australia C team, almost none of them would be heard of again once the regulars returned into the official fray.

Yet, as Rick McCosker, Ian Davis and the Chappell brothers faced Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Wayne Daniel in front of a few spectators at Melbourne, thousands gathered to watch Hibbert and Cosier face Amarnath and Madan Lal at Brisbane.

And incredibly Australia won by 16 runs. The victory was much more than a win for the country. It was a blow struck for traditional cricket against the commercial parallel league which threatened to divide the sport into two. It was a fantastic result for the game’s governing bodies.

The rickety, motley crew of Australians pitted against the full-strength Indians proved to be extremely evenly matched contests. Thomson provided pace, although he had just come back from a career threatening shoulder operation. Simpson brought experience, and when required, crucial runs. There was precious little depth in the team other than that. Yet, they won at Brisbane and Perth, and the decider at Adelaide to triumph 3-2.

At Brisbane, Thomson and Wayne Clarke outdid the spinning heroics of Bedi and the fourth innings hundred of Sunil Gavaskar. Perth was another close Test, where India at one time stood 248 runs ahead with nine wickets in hand. This in spite of veteran Simpson’s masterclassamounting to 176.And then they collapsed to the bowling of unheralded Sam Gannon — a bowler who averaged over 30 in First-Class cricket. And the vaunted spinners found defending 338 in the final innings beyond them.

Gavaskar’s third century on the trot, aided by Bhagwath Chandrasekhar’s 12 wickets helped India pull one back in Melbourne, while a combined team effort saw them rout the hosts by an innings at Sydney.

With the series poised 2-2 and providing all the scintillating excitement the Australian Board desired, the teams met at Adelaide for the decider. Graham Yallop, playing his only Test of the series, got a hundred and so did Simpson. Australia made 505 in the first innings. They went on to dismiss India for 269 and batted again to score 256.

The tourists needed a near impossible 493 for victory. But with Dilip Vengsarkar and Syed Kirmani at the crease at 348 for five, they seemed to have an outside chance. When Vengsarkar got out, Karsan Ghavri and Kirmani took the score to 416, but the Australians banked on the long, long tail. Once both Ghavri and Kirmani were dismissed for within two runs of each other, Bedi and Prasanna tried their hardest but were simply not good enough. In the end they were all out for 445.

Perhaps Indians would have won had they not insisted on playing three spinners. Madan Lal and Ghavri could have perhaps won it for the visitors if they had bowled in tandem. At least the records suggest so, along with the evidence of the rather ordinary form of Prasanna.

It was not really a great Test series by any standard. The tussle had been titanic, but the teams had been less than world class.

However, it had been a major success from the point of view of gates. The administrators had scored a resounding victory over the ‘evil designs’ of Packer.

9. Australia in India 1979-80 India 2 Australia 0

India finally won a series against Australia when the tourists arrived under Kim Hughes in 1979. The side was still a depleted one, with most of their stars still serving under the Packer contract. However, with Yallop, Hughes and the young Allan Border, there was a certain amount of class in the batting. The same, sadly, was far from true about the bowling department.

As a result, the Indian batsmen piled up tons of runs and, on helpful tracks, the new spin duo of Dilip Doshi and Shivlal Yadav tied the Australians into knots. Besides, Kapil Dev was at the peak of his powers, a lethal threat with the new ball.

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After two rather drab draws, Indians struck at Kanpur with Kapil and Yadav skittling Australia out for 125 as they set out to get 279 for a win. Some determined batting in the second innings after following on saved Australia the blushes at Delhi, while a sluggish pitch at Calcutta reduced a potential thriller to a stalemate.

Finally, on a grassless Bombay wicket, India made it 2-0. Gavaskar scored another hundred, but the major milestone was Kirmani’s century as a night watchman. Ghavri produced the innings of his career as he slammed three sixes in his 86. And then it was left to the Indian bowlers to mop things up with some help from a couple of curious umpiring decisions.

10. India in Australia 1980-81 Australia 1 India 1

With the return of the regulars from the Packer circus, the series promised to be another of those traditional one sided routs handed out whenever India had visited Australia over the years.

When Dennis Lillee had dismissed Gavaskar for a duck on the first morning, and Sandeep Patil had been rendered hors de combat by Len Pascoe, the fears seemed real. By the end of the second day at Sydney, Greg Chappell’s 204 had outscored India’s 201and the tale of humiliation had been resumed.By the third afternoon India had been defeated by an innings.

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It looked increasingly likely to continue in the same vein when Hughes scored a double hundred at Adelaide and by the third morning India were reeling at 130 for four in response to a huge 526.

However, Patil chose this moment to launch into a spectacular counterattacking gem. The 174 he scored that day ranks as one of the most brilliant overseas innings played by any Indian batsman. Australia led by 109, but Doshi ensured they could not get the quick runs they required. The declaration did come, and India struggled to survive, but a final half hour resistance by Ghavri and Yadav enabled them to save the Test with two wickets to spare.

And then there was the classic at Melbourne. Viswanath stood there, all class and artistry, towering above the others with 114 superb runs as India managed just 237. But, Border responded with a hundred and Australia yet again passed 400. The lead of 182 was a huge one. Gavaskar and Chauhan had erased 165 of it whenLillee trapped the Indian captain leg before. What happened next is history.

Skipper Gavaskar walked out, beckoning Chauhan after him, and India came to the tottering brink of forfeiting the Test. In the end, reason prevailed and they batted on to score 324. Australia were set a meagre 143 to win. With Kapil nursing a thigh strain, Patil opened the bowling with Ghavri. Yadav was also injured, and Doshicame on to bowlwhile battling major distress. With such an attack, the Indians struck back. Ghavri got two in two balls, including Chappell for a golden duck. Doshi snared Graeme Wood. Australia ended the day at 24 for three.

The next morning Kapil returned, with a strapped thigh, and bowled unchanged to take five for 28 in 16.4 overs. Australia were bundled for 83. India had ended up on even terms in a series Down Under for the first time.

11. India in Australia 1985-86: Australia 0 India 0

By the time India returned, Australia were no longer the force it had been all these years. Chappell, Lillee, Thomson and Rod Marsh had retired, Kim Hughes had disappeared in the shady rebel fields of South Africa. Allan Border was leading a rebuilding process and much of it was a major struggle. India, on the other hand, had an established side of excellent batsmen and handy all-rounders.

If ever there was a chance for India to win a series in Australia comprehensively this was it. And the opportunity was lost through some quixotic tactics and selfishly slow batting.

A tall scoring draw at Adelaide set the tone, with the lack of depth in the raw Australian bowling attack becoming more than apparent. However, Craig McDermott did display fiery pace and spirit by striking Gavaskar on the arm guard, forcing him to retire before the Indian opener came back on the fourth afternoon to score a big hundred as the match petered to a draw.

The Melbourne track turned from the word go. Roger Binny, opening the bowling with captain Kapil Dev, bowled just three first innings overs. It was left to Ravi Shastri, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Yadav to take the wickets. They did, restricting the Aussies to 262. Krish Srikkanth hammered the bowling for 86, Vengsarkar batted over five hours for 75, and India led by 183. By the end of the fourth day, the hosts were eight down in their second innings and just 45 runs ahead.

However, Border, unbeaten on 98 overnight, took his score to 163 the next morning. Dave Gilbert survived almost two hours to add 77 for the last wicket. The Indian policy of pushing the field back for Border throughout the morning proved ineffective, curious and dreadfully costly. Yet, with just 126 to win in two sessions, India went in to lunch with an easy mind.

Rain had been forecast later that day, and in these circumstances, the tactics that followed were baffling to say the least. Gavaskar batted over an hour and played 54 balls for his eight measly runs. Amarnath spent 40 minutes at the crease to remain unbeaten on three. India crawled to 59 for two in 25 overs by tea, when they could have tried and finished the game by then. It started raining after that and the match could not be continued. More attacking fields while bowling to Border, and a bit more initiative while batting and the match would have been won.

The lesson of Melbourne was not really learnt by the most experienced of the Indian batsmen. After a 97-ball hundred from Srikkanth had placed India on a fantastic platform of 334 for one at the end of the first day, Gavaskar and Amarnath added just 64 before lunch on the second morning. It was left to Kapil to promote himself and thrash the bowling around. India declared at 600 for four and with David Boon and Geoff Marsh putting on 217 for the first wicket, the only possible result seemed to be a tall scoring draw. A storm on the third day and bad light on the fourth also underlined the writing on the wall.

However, on the final day,  starting at 347 for four, Australia folded for 396 to Shastri and Yadav. In spite of Boon and Marsh batting for 89 minutes of the four remaining hours, the Indian spinners had the hosts in a tangle. Finally Greg Ritchie saved the day with a 17 compiled over two and three quarter hours and Ray Bright stoically batted out the final 20 minutes. Australia escaped with the second close shave with four wickets to spare.

It was a series that India had every reason to win, but managed to draw aided by some laborious batting and questionable captaincy.

This was the first scoreless series contested between the sides.

12. Australia in India 1986-87 India 0 Australia 0

It started with a tie — the second in the history of the game.

Dean Jones battled cramps, exhaustion and bouts of vomiting to score an epic double hundred. Kapil Dev hammered a sparkling 109-ball hundred to avoid follow on. Border declared,demonstrating plenty of spunk and sporting spirit. And then it boiled down to a thriller on the last day.

Aided by a masterly 90 by Gavaskar, India went into tea at 190 for two, 158 to win in the last session. After the break, the fortunes swayed this way and that as India lost wickets and yet stayed on course. However, with 18 needed in the final five overs, four wickets in hand, India panicked. Chetan Sharma holed out in the deep,Kiran More was trapped leg before. Yadav struck Greg Matthews for six, and was bowled trying an unnecessary sweep.

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Matthews, who had bowled all afternoon in his sweater in that stifling heat of Madras, now bowled the final over and trapped Maninder Singh leg before off the penultimate ball with the scores tied. Till this day the batsman claims that he edged the ball, and old umpire V Vikramraju refuses to agree. In any case, opinions don’t matter, the scorecard does. The match was a tie.

As if to cool the sides after the enormous amount of excitement, it rained for four and a half days at Delhi.

At Bombay, Boon’s century ensured a score of 217 for two for Australia at the end of the first day. However, the visitors were restricted to 345 on the second day by some disciplined bowling by debutant Raju Kulkarni and Kapil Dev.

In response, Gavaskar scored 103. Two other Bombay men, Vengsarkar and Shastri, got hundreds as well, adding 308 unbeaten runs. With a lead of 172, Kapil declared and gunned for a win.

It was not easy on those eighties featherbeds of India. Not a single wicket had fallen all fourth day, and only two did on the fifth. Australia drew the match comfortably and Kulkarni waited in the outfield with a bemused expression before his captain finally threw him the ball late on the final day for his first bowl in the second innings.

All of a sudden there had been two series played between the two sides without a single result. It was a snapshot of the 1980s.

Click here to read India vs Australia past encounters: Part 1 of 4

Click here to read India vs Australia past encounters: Part 3 of 4

Click here to read India vs Australia past encounters: Part 4 of 4

(Arunabha Sengupta is a cricket historian and Chief Cricket Writer at CricketCountry. He writes about the history and the romance of the game, punctuated often by opinions about modern day cricket, while his post-graduate degree in statistics peeps through in occasional analytical pieces. The author of three novels, he can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/senantix)

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