The Indian team will have a serious challenge to face when it takes on the Australian team in a 5-match Test series down under. For the Indian team, this challenge starts right in Perth, where the record is stacked up against it. Across two venues in Perth, India has just managed to win a single Test out of the five Tests played.
If India has to achieve a hat-trick of Test series victories in Australia, getting over the challenge in Perth will be crucial. The 1st Test of this much-anticipated Test series starts on 22nd November.
India’s Record at Perth
India has played five Test matches at Perth across two venues: WACA and Optus Stadium.
India’s Test Record at WACA
WACA has not been kind to India, handing three defeats in four Test matches. Irfan Pathan was the star of the show when India managed the only win in WACA, scoring 74 runs and picking up five wickets across two innings.
The following list shows the four matches played between India and Australia at WACA, along with the results:
- India vs Australia in 1977 – Australia won by 2 wickets.
- India vs Australia in 1992 – Australia won by 300 runs.
- India vs Australia in 2008 – India won by 72 wickets.
- India vs Australia in 2012 – Australia won by an innings and 37 runs.
India’s Test Record at Optus Stadium
In the last few years, Cricket Australia has shifted the matches in Perth from WACA to Optus Stadium. India played one match against Australia in 2018 at Optus Stadium, losing the match by 146 runs. Despite a classy century by Virat Kohli, Australia dominated the match and got over the line convincingly.
India’s Individual Records at Perth
The following are some of the top individual records by Indian batters and bowlers:
Most Runs by an Indian Batter at Perth
Despite having just played only two matches, Virat Kohli tops the list of scoring most runs by an Indian batter at Perth. In two Test matches at Perth, one each at the WACA and Optus Stadium, Virat Kohli has scored 259 runs. The master blaster Sachin Tendulkar is right behind him with 226 runs in just the three Test matches played at WACA.
Highest Score by an Indian Batter at Perth
Sunil Gavaskar batted with great poise, keeping Australian bowlers at bay and scoring 127 runs in the 1977 Test. This impactful knock came in a losing cause, as Australia won the match by two wickets.
Best Bowling Figures by an Indian Bowler at Perth
Mohammed Shami showed why he is considered one of the best bowlers in Test cricket, picking up 6 for 56 against Australia in Perth during the 2018-19 tour. Shami’s brilliance could not take India over the line, as Australia won the match by 146 runs.
India’s Memorable Win at Perth
India tasted success in Perth in 2008, when the team won by 72 runs. Having taken the lead of 118 runs in the first innings, India scored 294 runs in the second innings, setting a daunting target for Australia to chase. Australia put up a fight in the last innings but fell short by 72 runs, giving India their first Test win in Perth. Irfan Pathan, for his all-round show, was named the player of the match, picking up five wickets and scoring 74 runs across two innings.
Final Thoughts
India will begin the 2024-25 BGT Test series on 22nd November at Perth. While India has won the last two Test series played in Australia, Perth has not been a happy hunting ground for India. The Indian team has to take the game to the next level if it has to turn the horrors of Perth into glory this time.