27 November,2020 08:19 AM IST | | Kersi Meher Homji
India and Australia players pay tribute to Phillip Hughes prior to the first Test at Adelaide on December 9, 2014. The series was postponed when Hughes, 25, passed away two days after suffering a head injury during a Sheffield Shield tie on November 25, 2
Why do Indian cricket teams touring Australia face problems before a ball has been bowled? The latest instance involves cases of COVID-19 in Adelaide just prior to India-s tour Down Under.
Non-cricket incidents have affected Indian tourists since their first tour of Australia in 1947-48. India became independent on August 15, 1947 and Pakistan was born. This led to prominent Muslim cricketers Mushtaq Ali, Abdul Hafeez Kardar and Fazal Mahmood not joining the touring team. It may be added that Gul Mahomed and Amir Elahi did tour.
A week before the fifth and final Test started in Melbourne on February 6, 1948, a tragedy of massive proportion struck the Indian nation. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30.
Fast forward 30 years. Kerry Packer-s World Series Cricket was born in 1977 before Bishan Bedi brought India-s team to Australia. It was a spine-tingling series between India-s full team against Australia-s virtual second XI apart from the fast bowling legend Jeff Thomson.
The depleted Australian side was led by the never-say-die Bob Simpson. Retired a decade ago, he inspired his country to great heights. The exciting series was locked 2-2 when the final Test started in Adelaide on January 28, 1978. Set a near impossible winning target of 493, Bedi-s unrelenting Indians battled to the bitter end but lost by 47 runs. Their score of 445 remained the highest fourth innings total to lose a Test until New Zealand amassed 451 against England at Christchurch in 2001-02, losing by 98 runs.
The dates and venues for India-s tour of Australia in 2014-15 were altered because of the tragedy involving Australia-s opening batsman, the lovable Phillip Hughes. When playing a Sheffield Shield match for South Australia against New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground on November 25, 2014, Hughes, 25, was hit on the helmet and died two days later.
India-s tour of 2018-19 was coloured by another drama. Eight months before the tour started Australia-s star batsmen David Warner and Steven Smith were hit with a one-year suspension for ball tampering in the Cape Town Test against South Africa in March 2018.
It worked out well for India as Virat Kohli-s valiant warriors went on to win a Test series in Australia for the first time. Now to the present. Two milestones will be reached during the Boxing Day Melbourne Test next month. It will be the 100th Test between India and Australia and the 50th between them in Australia.
They have played 98 Tests so far. In all, Australia has won 42 of the 98 Tests played, India 28 with 27 drawn and one Test tied. As expected, home advantage has played a vital role in the results. Of the 48 Tests played in Australia, the home team have won 29, lost seven with 12 drawn. Of the 50 Tests played in India, the home team has won 21, lost 13 with 15 drawn and one tied.
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