3 times India's lower middle-order frustrated Australia with the bat in a Test
One of the main reasons Team India are still in with a chance of winning the World Test Championship (WTC) final is because of the rearguard effort from their lower middle order in the 1st innings against Australia.
Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur made crucial contributions to ensure that Australia didn't exactly bat the opposition out of the Test. This wasn't the first time where India's lower middle order has frustrated the Australians.
There have been some matches in the past between these two countries that will forever be remembered for the resistance from the lower middle order. Let's have a look at three such instances:
#3 2nd Test, Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023, Delhi
India had already taken a 1-0 lead in the series but were in deep trouble during the second Test in Delhi. Australia had posted 263 in their first innings and had the hosts reeling at 139/7. It looked all but certain that the visitors would snatch a massive first innings lead.
However, that wasn't to be as Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin both proved how valuable they could be with the bat. The duo added 114 runs for the eighth wicket with Axar scoring a brilliant 74. They ended up conceding a lead of just one run and all the momentum was now with the hosts.
Australia's appalling batting collapse in their second innings proved to be the final turning point as the hosts won the game and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).
#2 1st Test, Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2003-04, Adelaide
India's first-ever Test win on Australian soil came in Adelaide during BT 2003/04 and it was yet another rearguard action that helped them clinch the victory. In reply to Australia's mammoth 556, the visitors were in a precarious situation at 85/4.
However, just like the famous 2001 Kolkata Test, it was deja vu for Australia as Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman got together to produce one of the finest partnerships under pressure on foreign soil. The duo added an incredible 303 runs for the fifth wicket and that brought India right back in the game.
Dravid's double hundred and Laxman's incredible 185 meant that their team conceded a lead of just 33 runs. Ajit Agarkar triggered Australia's batting collapse and suddenly the visitors needed just 230 runs to win the game. They did lose six wickets, but Dravid hit the winning runs and completed an incredible fairytale.
#1 4th Test, Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21, Brisbane
Arguably India's finest rearguard effort against the Aussies came against all odds during the 2020-21 BGT in the fourth Test at the Gabba. The visitors were crippled with injuries and had almost a second-string side that faced the Aussies.
Australia scored 369 runs in their first innings and had India on the ropes at 186/6. Just then, Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur began what was a sensational counter-attack on the hosts. Both scored valuable half-centuries and added 123 runs for the seventh wicket.
The Aussies did get a lead of 33 runs and post a stiff target of 328. However, the brilliance of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, combined with valuable contributions from others, helped in a win that will forever be remembered in India's cricketing history.