Best Indian cricketers against Australia and best Australian cricketers against India
By Kersi Meher-Homji
The Indian cricket team will be in Australia soon and two milestones will be reached during the Boxing Day Melbourne Test next month. It will be the 100th Test between India and Australia and the 50th between them in Australia.
The first time the two mighty cricket nations played each other in a Test series was in 1947-48, a few months after India became independent. They have played 98 Tests so far. In all, Australia has won 42 of the 98 Tests played, India 28 with 27 drawn and one Test tied.
As expected, home advantage has played a vital role in the results. Of the 48 Tests played in Australia, the home team (Australia) has won 29, lost seven with 12 drawn. Of the 50 Tests played in India, the home team (India) has won 21, lost 13 with 15 drawn and one tied.
India won a series in Australia for the first time in 2018-19 after a 70 year wait. Will they repeat this success this summer? It will be difficult with Australia’s star batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner back in the team and Kohli playing perhaps only in the first Test. He will leave back to India be near his newborn child.
It is interesting to select the Best Indian Test cricketers to play against Australia as also the Best Australian Test cricketers to play against India.
The Best Indian Test cricketers to play against Australia (based on seniority)
Vijay Hazare, Vinoo Mankad, Sunil Gavaskar, GR Viswanath, Dilip Vengsarkar, EAS Prasanna, Bishan Bedi, BS Chandrasekhar, Nawab of Pataudi jr., Ravi Shastri, Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah.
The Best Australian Test cricketers to play against India (based on seniority)
Don Bradman, Keith Miller, Ray Lindwall, Neil Harvey, Richie Benaud, Alan Davidson, Graham McKenzie, Bob Simpson, Bill Lawry, Doug Walters, Ian Chappell, Greg Chappell, Allan Border, Dean Jones, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden, Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, Mark Taylor, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Adam Gilchrist, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Steve Smith and David Warner.
Spectators down under will chant “Come on Aussie come on, come on”, “Jeetega, Jeetega, India jeetega”, “Ozy ozy ozy, oi oi oi”, “Jai ho”, “Chuck dey, India”, “Ooh-ah, Glenn McGrath”, “Li-llee ”“ Li-llee” or “Sachin ”“ Sacheeen” during the 2020-21 Oz”“Ind contest which promises to be spine-tingling.
I can’t wait, can you?
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