5 best spin bowling spells by Indian bowlers in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
India will take on Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which begins on February 9, and the excitement is already palpable. If the quality of cricket on show wasn't enticing enough, the talk around the "doctored" pitches has only added to the excitement.
Competing in Test cricket in India comes with its own set of challenges as spinners have a huge role to play. Historically, Indian spinners have had the upper hand over their opponents on home soil.
However, when it comes to Australia, the Men in Blue somehow find another gear to rise to the challenge. Be it the spells of Jasubhai Patel in the early 50s or Harbhajan Singh in 2001, Indian spinners love to run riot against Australia.
On that note, we take a look at five of the best performances by Indian spin bowlers against Australia in a Test series:
#1 Harbhajan Singh - 7/123, Eden Gardens
The Test series against Australia in 2001 is most fondly remembered for the performances of a 20-year-old Harbhajan Singh. The off-spinner was up against one of the greatest teams in Test cricket and tore them apart with skill and guile throughout the series.
Harbhajan Singh's sensational bowling performance helped his side clinch the series in the final match of the three-match series.
In the second match at Eden Gardens, he bagged figures of 7/123 in the first innings, taking a hat-trick that included the wickets of Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, and Shane Warne.
He followed that up with another magnificent spell of 6/73 in the second innings, bowling Australia out for a total of 212 and guiding the hosts to a 171-run win. Harbhajan took 32 wickets in that series at an average of 17.03, producing one of the best bowling performances the subcontinent side had seen in a long time.
#2 Anil Kumble - 8/141, SCG
A modern-day great, Anil Kumble was the first Indian bowler to take 10 wickets in an innings in a Test match. He came close to repeating that feat a few times, including his 8/141 against Australia in the fourth Test of the series in 2004.
Sachin Tendulkar took the Player of the Match award for his unbeaten 241 in the first innings, which propelled the Men in Blue to a massive total of 705. In reply, Australia were bundled out for 474, with Kumble almost single-handedly dismissing their entire line-up.
He bowled 46.5 overs in the first innings, 20 more than any other Indian bowler. The leg-spinner followed it up with a four-wicket haul in the final innings, bowling 42 overs for 138 runs. The match ended in a draw, but Kumble did his bit to keep his side in with a chance.
His figures of 7/48 in Chennai against the same opposition in 2004 also deserve a notable mention.
#3 Bhagwat Chandrasekhar - 6/52, MCG
Long before Kumble, leg spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar was considered one of the best spinners India had ever produced. Usually remembered as someone who overcame a polio attack as a child, Chandrasekhar played a key role in a number of famous wins for his country. One of those performances was during India's first-ever win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia.
The leg-spinner recorded identical figures (6/52) in both innings, a combined figure of 12/104 in the game to lead India to a famous win. After India scored 256 in the first innings, Chandrasekhar helped his side bundle out the hosts for 213.
With the hosts chasing a target of 386 in the second innings, Chandrasekhar, alongside Bishan Bedi, ran through the Australians and gave the visitors a historic 222-run victory.
#4 Ravichandran Ashwin - 5/63, Hyderabad
BGT 2013 - 29 Wickets, 4×5fer
BGT 2014 - 3 Match, 12 Wickets
BGT 2017 - 21 Wickets, 1×5fer
BGT 2018 - 1 Match, 6 Wickets
BGT 2020 - 3 Match, 12 Wickets
Total 89 Wickets
Ravichandran Ashwin is hero with the ball for india in BGT. He also contribute with bat. #INDvAUS https://t.co/8QbGmVoael
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2013 was one that belonged to Ravichandran Ashwin. The off-spinner won the Player of the Series award with 29 wickets to his name.
After Ashwin took one wicket in the first innings, which saw Australia declare for 237, Cheteshwar Pujara stood as solid as a rock (204) to help India mount a total of 503. Pujara's knock put the hosts in the driver's seat and Ashwin did the rest to wrap things up in the third innings.
He recorded figures of 5/63, dismantling the Australian top and middle order throughout his spell. They were bowled out for 131 in the final innings and Ashwin was responsible for dismissing half the side to give MS Dhoni's men a 2-0 cushion in the series.
#5 Ravindra Jadeja - 6/63, Chinnaswamy Stadium
-wicket haul against Australia 
#TeamIndia 
𝗔 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹! 👌👌
When @imjadeja scalped a match-winning 6️⃣-wicket haul against Australia 🙌 #TeamIndia
As we gear up for the #INDvAUS Nagpur Test, relive his bowling heroics during the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home 🎥 👇
bit.ly/3DNl6vb https://t.co/xe73SrZdsC
Ravindra Jadeja had a memorable Test series against Australia in 2017. After Australia won the first game of the series by 333 runs, India roared back with a 75-run win in the second Test in Bangalore. In a low-scoring thriller on a rank-turner, Virat Kohli's side were bundled out for 189 in the first innings.
However, the hosts made sure that Australia didn't run away with the game. Jadeja led the way, dismissing Steve Smith, Matt Renshaw, and Peter Handscomb in quick succession. He then quickly sent the tail back to the pavilion, helping his team bundle Australia out for 276, registering figures of 6/63.
The hosts eventually went on to win the game by 75 runs, courtesy of a couple of half-centuries from KL Rahul in both innings. Ashwin proved to be a menace in the final innings, taking a six-wicket haul himself to help his team level the series.
Jadeja won the Player of the Series award for his performances, scoring 127 runs and taking 25 wickets. Heading into the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he will once again have a crucial role to play for the side.