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SK Flashback: India defeat Australia 4-0 for the first time in a Test series

 

Dhoni led from the front in the first Test

One of the most intense rivalries in the history of Test cricket exists between India and Australia. The contest between the two goes back to the season of 1947-48 when India traveled Down Under for a 5-Test series. The initial years were heavily dominated by the Aussies as they won six out of the seven series.

The competition between the countries was named the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the year 1996. Since then, India have won it six times and Australia, five.

Australia had whitewashed the subcontinent side 4-0 while playing in their own backyard in 1967-68.

Also read: Famous modern day India-Australia controversies

India, on the other hand, had never managed to do so until Australia’s tour to India in 2013. Led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian team inflicted a 4-0 thrashing on their arch rivals. Here is a recap of the epic series.


First Test: Dhoni’s maiden double ton leads the way

Australia won the all important toss in Chennai and a magnificent century from their skipper Michael Clarke supported by a fifty from Moises Henriques helped them amass a sizeable total of 380 in the first innings. Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up seven wickets for 103 runs.

India hit back strongly with Sachin Tendulkar scoring 81 and Virat Kohli notching up 107. But it was all about Dhoni as he powered his way to his first double hundred in Tests. He scored 224 off 365 balls and took India to 572, gaining a lead of 192 runs. James Pattinson was the only effective bowler as he bagged a fifer.

Australia’s second innings never got going as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Ashwin picked up five wickets to make it 12 in the match as the visitors were restricted to 241. Henriques got his second fifty in the match and remained unbeaten on 81.

India, having to chase 50 runs to win the game, lost two wickets for 36. Tendulkar, though, smashed two sixes off the first two balls Nathan Lyon bowled and India won the match comfortably by eight wickets to go one up in the series.

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