Riots Of 1969 To Magic At Eden Gardens: Iconic India vs Australia Test Contests

New Delhi:

Ashes is steeped in tradition but India versus Australia Test matches are bound by emotion. If Ashes is the best what Test cricket can offer its fans, then Border-Gavaskar Trophy has potential to better the best. In an era where Test cricket fights for survival, the rivalry between India and Australia has only blossomed in the past 75 years. As the two cricketing giants gear up to what promises to be a rivetting four Test series beginning in Nagpur, PTI looks back at some of the iconic matches that the Baggy Green played in India.

With the scoreboard reading 89 for seven in their second innings, India needed a miracle to save the first Test versus Australia at the Brabourne Stadium.

Syed Abid Ali’s dismissal brought Srinivas Venkataraghvan into the middle with Ajit Wadekar running out of partners at the end.

Their eighth wicket partnership on day four was building into something substantial before a controversial caught behind call from umpire Shambu Pan to send Venkatraghavan in the dressing room triggered one of the scariest of incidents in India-Australia Test history.

Radio commentator Devraj Puri was not convinced that Venkataraghvan had hit it and with India in dire straits at 114 for eight, the crowd behaviour turned ugly with chairs and soft drink bottles being thrown around in the stadium. However, fear set in among the players only when they saw flames in the stands.