AUS vs IND, 2020-21: 2nd Test, Day 4 – Rahane emulates Dhoni, Australians fail to record a fifty, India’s comeback and more stats

India needed half of the 4th day’s play to wrap up the Boxing Day Test match with a victory by an 8-wicket margin. Australia added 67 runs in the morning session for their last four wickets to set a target of 70 runs for the visitors. Cameron Green was the top-scorer for the hosts with a 45-run knock which came in 146 balls. India needed only 15.5 overs to complete the chase for the loss of two wickets. Shubman Gill scored run-a-ball 35 while the skipper Ajinkya Rahane scored the winning runs.

Here are all the statistical highlights from India’s 8-wicket victory during the Melbourne Test match:

India conquers Boxing Day Test yet again:

2 – India now has won the Boxing Day Test matches twice in two attempts – 2018 and 2020. They are the 2nd visiting team after England (1982 & 1986) to win the Boxing Day Tests on successive attempts. Overall, India are the 4th team after England (4), South Africa (2) and West Indies (2) to win multiple Boxing Day Tests.

India bounces back from a defeat:

2 – This series became only the 2nd outside Asia for India where they squared the series in the very 2nd match after losing in the series opener. India lost to South Africa in 2010-11 tour at the SuperSport Park which hosted the first Test but bounced back with a win at the Kingsmead in the next Test.

2011 – India is only the 2nd visiting team in the last 45 years to win the 2nd match of a Test series on Australian soil after losing the series opener. New Zealand drew the 2-match Test series in 2011 by winning the 2nd game after losing the first match.

India’s best away venue:

4 – Indian team has won as many as four Test matches at the Melbourne cricket ground; the most number of Test wins for them at an away venue. India won three Tests apiece at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Sabina Park in Kingston and Sinhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo.

India is also the 2nd visiting team to win as many as four Tests at the MCG after England who won a record 20 matches against the Aussies at this venue.

Australia’s resistance:

1.93 – Australia’s run rate of 1.93 in their 2nd innings is the lowest for them in 32 years where they faced at least 600 balls. Australia had a run-rate of 1.35 in their first innings of the 1988 Karachi Test against Pakistan where they posted 165 in 122 overs.

1970 – The last instance of Australia having a run rate lower than 1.93 (Australia’s run rate in 2nd innings) in a home Test innings in 50 years. They had run rate of 1.71 in their 2nd innings of the 1970 Brisbane Test against England while scoring 214 in 93.5 overs (8-ball overs).

India’s comeback after losing the toss:

2011 – The last instance of Australia losing a Test match at home after winning the toss was back in 2011 where they suffered a 7-run loss against New Zealand at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.

2010 – The Melbourne Test win is India’s first away victory while batting second in Test cricket since defeating Sri Lanka at the P Sara Oval in 2010. India won that game by 5 wickets after made to bowl first on losing the toss.

2005 – The 8-wicket win at the MCG was also India’s first Test win while batting second outside Asia since the 2009 Hamilton Test win against New Zealand. The last instance of India winning a Test match outside Asia after the home team elected to bat first was back in 2005 Bulawayo Test against Zimbabwe.

Australians fail to record a fifty:

1988 – No Australian batsman managed to get to 50-run mark in either innings of this Test match. This is the first-ever Test match at home for Australia without no individual getting a fifty since the 1988 Test match at the MCG against West Indies. At least one Australian scored 50+ runs in an innings in the 176 Test matches on Australian soil in these 32 years.

Rahane emulates Dhoni:

3 – Ajinkya Rahane has won each of the three matches where he led the Indian team in Test cricket. He is only the 2nd Indian captain to win each of his first three Test matches after MS Dhoni.

2013 – The last instance of an Indian captain hitting the winning runs in a Test match before Ajinkya was MS Dhoni during the 2013 Delhi Test also against Australia. That game was marked to be the Test debut of Rahane.

5 – Rahane is also the 5th visiting captain to score winning runs in a Test match on Australian soil. The last of the previous four players was Sir Clive Lloyd way back in 1982.

A match-winning ton by an Indian skipper:

1 – Ajinkya Rahane’s hundred in the first-innings is now the first-ever hundred by an Indian captain on Australian soil which resulted in a victory. None of the previous seven hundreds by Indian skippers in Australia saw through to a victory.

Siraj’s dream debut:

5 – Mohammed Siraj became only the 2nd Indian pacer to claim five or more wickets on Test debut despite not getting the new ball in either of innings. Syed Abid Ali bagged seven wickets during his Test debut against Australia in the 1967 Adelaide Test. In fact, Abid Ali and Siraj are the only Indians to pick five or more wickets while making Test debut on Australian soil.

Winning start for Gill:

21y 112d – Shubman Gill was 21 years and 112 days old as on Tuesday which makes him the 3rd youngest visiting player to make his Test debut in Australia with a win. Only Irfan Pathan (19y 50d in 2003 Adelaide Test) and Phil DeFreitas (20y 274d in 1986 Brisbane Test) were younger than by the time of the victory than Gill.