AUS vs IND: Flashback 2018-19 – Here’s what happened when India last toured Australia

A lot is at stake when India and Australia face each other in any of the formats. After defeating the Aussies at home in the three-match ODI series earlier this year, the Virat Kohli-led side has travelled down under for 3 ODIs, as many T20Is and four Tests. The ODI series will commence on November 27 and both the teams would like to give it their all to come out victorious.

Australia, especially, will be keen on turning the tables on the visitors after what happened on the last tour. After levelling the T20I series, India had ended up winning the ODI and Test series marking the most successful tour to Australia ever.

Here we tell you in short what happened in each series on 2018-19 tour:

T20I series

To start off the tour, the two teams played out a thrilling encounter in the first T20I. Australia scored 158/4 in 17 overs after which rain intervened and India were given a target of 174 in the same number of overs. Shikhar Dhawan shone for India with a 76-run knock while Dinesh Karthik slammed 30 off 13 balls. But India lost wickets at regular intervals and ended up falling short by just four runs.

After the second T20I washed out due to rain, the tourists had to win the final match to level the series. And India didn’t disappoint. They restricted the Aussies to 164/4 in their 20 overs and then chased it down without much fuss with six wickets in hand thanks to a brilliant half-century from Virat Kohli.

Test series

The Indian Team has been touring Australia for many years but could not win a Test series. It was under the captaincy of Virat Kohli during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, when India was able to do so. The series scoreline read as 2-1 at the end and India created history! pic.twitter.com/ut08Sar6DB

— Harshit Pachouri (@Kolly_fan) June 13, 2020

The much-awaited Test series commenced in Adelaide and on the back of a superb ton from Cheteshwar Pujara, India posted 250 runs in the first innings. In response, Australia could only reach 235 runs thanks to some superb bowling from the visitors. With the match in the balance, Pujara and Rahane made the difference scoring 70s. Chasing a target of 323, Australia came excruciatingly close but could only score 291 runs.

After conceding an early lead in the series, Australia bounced back well dominating the tourists and taking a 43-run crucial lead in the first innings. It would’ve been more if not for Virat Kohli’s ton. Australia rode on the lead and despite Mohammed Shami’s sensational six-wicket haul, they managed to stretch the lead to 286. India were a no match in the second innings as they could muster only 140 runs and the series was on level terms.

The third and crucial Test began on Boxing Day, and India’s wall Cheteshwar Pujara once again rose to the occasion scoring 106. Kohli also smashed 82 to propel India to 443/7. Australia then stumbled in their first essay for just 151 runs. Their performance didn’t improve in the second innings either and ended up falling short of the target by a massive 137 runs.

Having already retained the Border Gavaskar Trophy, India were eyeing their maiden Test series win in Australia. In Sydney, Pujara and Pant literally ground Australia down with India amassing more than 600 runs in the first innings closing all doors of an Aussie win. The rain made its appearance constantly then in the game which ended in a draw and India famously sealed the series win.

ODI series 

After losing the Test series, Australia came hard at India in the first ODI. Jhye Richardson rocked the visitors in the opening spell. Rohit Sharma, in the 289-run chase, scored a century while MS Dhoni also slammed a fifty but India fell well short of the target in the end.

Shaun Marsh scored a scintillating 131 in the second ODI as Australia smashed 298 runs. With the series at stake, Virat Kohli came to the fore scoring 104 runs. MS Dhoni also hung in the middle to score an impressive 55 as India gunned down the total in the final over of the innings with six wickets in hand.

MS Dhoni was once again at the centre stage in the deciding ODI. Yuzvendra Chahal’s six-wicket haul restricted the hosts to 230 and then MS Dhoni marshalled the chase smartly after India’s top three couldn’t seal the deal. The former India skipper scored 87* to take the team home once again in the final over as the team ended one of its most successful tours.