Published: Nov 07, 2015, 09:58 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 07, 2015, 09:58 PM (IST)
India played Australia for the first time in November 1947, a few months after their independence. Though India had enjoyed occasional success against them, it took them 32-long years to beat them in a Test series for the first time. In 1979, Australian side, then hampered by losing top players to Kerry Packer’s World Series, played India in a six match Test series. They drew the first two Tests but India went one up at Kanpur, which hosted the third Test.
The next two Tests were draw again which meant that India wouldn’t lose it from here. The Kim Hughes-led Australian side needed to win this one in order to secure a draw while the Sunil Gavaskar-led India had nothing to lose.
November 7, 1979, marked the day when India beat Australia in the sixth Test of the series at the Wankhede Stadium, to win their first ever Test series against Australia. Gavaskar, playing at his home ground at Wankhede Stadium, elected to bat after winning the toss. He struck a fine 123, after a weaving a 192-run opening stand with Chetan Chauhan. Wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani too scored an unbeaten 101 to boost India’s score further to 458.
In the first innings, Australia were caught in a spin web with Dilip Doshi picking a fifer and Shivlal Yadav four-for. Australia were bowled out 160. Following on, it was Kapil Dev, who created havoc by picking a four-for and once again the left-arm spin of Doshi did the trick as he went on to pick three wickets. Allan Border with 61 and captain Kim Hughes with 80 provided some resistance but that wasn’t enough to avert a defeat. None of the other batsmen could even reach double figures as Australia folded for 198.
The much-awaited moment for India came when Kapil cleaned up Jim Higgs for four.
