5 Best Test knocks played by Indian batsmen in Australia
India is a well-known batting paradise and since the dawn of Cricket in India, there has been at least one batsman who has dominated the world of cricket and has changed the way we look at the game.
From Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid to Virat Kohli to the future stars, everyone redefined batting and made it look easier. Playing a Test series in Australia is one of the most challenging tasks which an Indian cricketer has to go through.
However, Indian batsmen have come out victorious a lot of times and have played knocks which are worth being remembered by each and every Indian cricket fan for ages to come. Here are 5 best knocks played by Indian batsmen in Test cricket in Australia.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar - 241* at SCG, 2003-04
When one talks about best knocks played in cricket, it is mandatory to bring into mind Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* which came in Sydney in the last Test match of the series. The series was well poised at 1-1, and it was imperative for India to win or draw the Test match. The Little Master stepped in for a masterclass and scored an unbeaten 241, which is still the highest score by an Indian in Australia.
He, along with VVS Laxman, added over 350 runs for the fourth wicket and helped India draw the Test series in the Aussies’ backyard. One will hardly see a knock better than this, especially when playing a Test match in Australia. The innings was well organised, began and ended with sheer class. Sachin Tendulkar set the bar high with this knock and it will take something extraordinary to top this knock down under.
#2 Virat Kohli - 141 at Adelaide Oval, 2014
There has been a considerable number of fighting knocks in cricket, but in my candid opinion, there aren't many knocks which are more fighting than this one. It was Virat Kohli’s first Test match as a captain and boy did we enjoy it! In the first innings too, Virat Kohli scored a century, which helped India narrow the deficit.
The Aussies had a significant lead in the first innings and set a target of 364 on the last day. Most captains would have played it safe and gone for the draw. However, that was not what was on Virat Kohli’s mind. The proficient chaser went for a quest to go 1-nil up in the series in the first match. Chasing a mammoth total of 350+, in Australia, in the fourth innings, takes some courage and Virat Kohli represented a lot of this courage for his team.
Despite losing Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara cheaply, Kohli kept up the chase. Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli added close to 200 runs for the third wicket. The partnership gave India a hope to win the Test match before Murali Vijay perished to an absolute peach by Nathan Lyon.
Murali Vijay’s wicket started a collapse but the Indian captain held on to his wicket from one end and kept the scoreboard ticking. He scored 141 runs, but it was not enough for India to win the Test match and India fell short by just 48 runs. Even though this innings came in a losing cause, it remains one of the best knocks played by an Indian in the fourth innings.