What is the Border Gavaskar Trophy?
The Border-Gavaskar trophy is a Test cricket series played between Australia and India. The venue changes between Australia and India in alternate series.
When is the Border Gavaskar Trophy played?
The series takes place roughly every two years, with this being a heavily anticipated match between two of the best teams within the cricket world.
History of the Border Gavaskar Trophy
Australia and India first played a Test series in 1947 when Australia were the first touring team to visit after Indiaâs independence. However this was not regular like The Ashes cricket series up until 1996 when the first Border Gavaskar Trophy was contested. The trophy is named after former legendary captains of both nations Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar. India have enjoyed the most success in the series with 10 victories and they have held the trophy since 2017.
Top run scorer in the Border Gavaskar Trophy
The âlittle masterâ Sachin Tendulkar is the leading run scorer in Tests between Australia and the Indian national cricket team. He made 3,630 Test runs against Australia at an average of 55 winning player of the series awards on three separate occasions. His second highest Test score of 241 not out came against the Australians at Sydney in 2004 in an inning famous for him not playing a single cover drive as the shot had been leading to his dismissal too regularly. He made 11 Test centuries in Border Gavaskar trophy clashes.
Top wicket taker in the Border Gavaskar trophy
Australian men’s cricket team off spinner Nathan Lyon is the leading wicket taker in Border-Gavaskar trophy Tests, heâs taken 116 Indian wickets in his career. He recorded his best ever Test figures of 8-50 in Bangalore in 2017.
Memorable games in the Border Gavaskar Trophy
Few Border Gavaskar trophy victories have been more memorable and significant for India than the miraculous win they pulled off at Brisbane January 2021. Going to the final game of the series finely poised at 1-1 not many gave an injury depleted Indian squad much of pulling off a victory at a venue considered Australia’s fortress.
This claim was backed by pretty solid evidence as well, Australia hadnât lost at the Gabba for a remarkable 32 years. A venue so brutal for touring sides it is nicknamed the âGabbatoirâ. This Border Gavaskar trophy series had started with the Indians being bundled out for 36 in Adelaide to fall behind 1-0, so chasing 327 seemed unlikely on a worn and cracked surface. Shubman Gill with 91 and superb 89 Not Out from Rishabh Pant saw team India home by three wickets to record a first ever series win in Australia. The fortress was breached.
Winning in Test cricket is hard but winning from the position of following on is an almost insurmountable task. Not for India at Eden Gardens Kolkata in 2001, faced with a daunting first innings deficit of 274, VVS Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) produced match changing partnership of 376, batting the entirety of day four to guide India to 657/7 declared 13 overs into the final day. Australia capitulated to Harbhajan Singhâs 6 for 73 to complete a staggering turnaround for India in this Border Gavaskar trophy matchup.
Similar competitions to the Border Gavaskar Trophy
If you are a big fan of Border Gavaskar trophy and the competing sides, then you may wish to take a look at the detailed breakdowns of the respective national Indian Premier League and Big Bash League pages we also have on site.
