Rajneesh Gupta surveys the bowling landscape in India-Australia Tests.
IMAGE: Harbhajan Singh's 8/84 in the second innings of the Chennai Test against Steve Waugh's side in March 2001 is the best Indian bowling performance against Australia this century.
Bhajji took 7/133 in the first innings of the same Test. Photograph: Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images/Getty Images
Bhajji took 7/133 in the first innings of the same Test. Photograph: Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images/Getty Images
5 WICKET INNINGS HAULS
INDIA: 68
AUSTRALIA: 57
BEST BOWLING IN AN INNINGS
INDIA
| Figures | Player | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/69 | Jasu Patel | Kanpur | 1959-1960 |
| 8/84 | Harbhajan Singh | Chennai | 2000-2001 |
| 8/106 | Kapil Dev | Adelaide | 1985-1986 |
| 8/141 | A Kumble | Sydney | 2003-2004 |
| 7/48 | A Kumble | Chennai | 2004-2005 |
| 7/49 | Ghulam Ahmed | Calcutta | 1956-1957 |
| 7/98 | Bishan Singh Bedi | Calcutta | 1969-1970 |
| 7/103 | Ravichandran Ashwin | Chennai | 2012-2013 |
| 7/123 | Harbhajan Singh | Kolkata | 2000-2001 |
| 7/133 | Harbhajan Singh | Chennai | 2000-2001 |
AUSTRALIA
| Figures | Player | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/215 | Jason Krejza + | Nagpur | 2008-2009 |
| 8/50 | Nathan Lyon | Bengaluru | 2016-2017 |
| 7/27 | Mike Whitney | Perth | 1991-1992 |
| 7/38 | Ray Lindwall | Adelaide | 1947-1948 |
| 7/43 | Ray Lindwall | Madras | 1956-1957 |
| 7/66 | Graham McKenzie | Melbourne | 1967-1968 |
| 7/67 | Geoff Dymock | Kanpur | 1979-1980 |
| 7/72 | Richie Benaud | Madras | 1956-1957 |
| 7/93 | Alan Davidson | Kanpur | 1959-1960 |
| 7/94 | Nathan Lyon | Delhi | 2012-2013 |
| 7/143 | Jim Higgs | Madras | 1979-1980 |
| 7/152 | Nathan Lyon | Adelaide | 2014-2015 |
+ on Test debut
BEST BOWLING IN A MATCH
INDIA
| Figures | Player | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15/217 | Harbhajan Singh | Chennai | 2000-2001 |
| 14/124 | Jasu Patel | Kanpur | 1959-1960 |
| 13/181 | Anil Kumble | Chennai | 2004-2005 |
| 13/196 | Harbhajan Singh | Kolkata | 2000-2001 |
| 12/104 | B S Chandrasekhar | Melbourne | 1977-1978 |
| 12/198 | Ravichandran Ashwin | Chennai | 2012-2013 |
| 12/279 | Anil Kumble | Sydney | 2003-2004 |
AUSTRALIA
| Figures | Player | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/70 | Steve O'Keefe | Pune | 2016-2017 |
| 12/124 | Alan Davidson | Kanpur | 1959-1960 |
| 12/126 | Bruce Reid | Melbourne | 1991-1992 |
| 12/166 | Geoff Dymock | Kanpur | 1979-1980 |
| 12/286 | Nathan Lyon | Adelaide | 2014-2015 |
| 12/358 | Jason Krejza + | Nagpur | 2008-2009 |
+ on Test debut
HAT-TRICKS
INDIA: Harbhajan Singh, Kolkata, 2000-2001 (Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne)
AUSTRALIA: None
MOST WICKETS IN A SERIES
INDIA
| Player | Season | in | Tests | Wickets | Best | Average | 5WI | 10WM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbhajan Singh | 2000-2001 | India | 3 | 32 | 8/84 | 17.03 | 4 | 2 |
| Bishen Singh Bedi | 1977-1978 | Australia | 5 | 31 | 5/55 | 23.87 | 3 | 1 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 2012-2013 | India | 4 | 29 | 7/103 | 20.10 | 4 | 1 |
| B S Chandrasekhar | 1977-1978 | Australia | 5 | 28 | 6/52 | 25.14 | 3 | 1 |
| Kapil Dev | 1979-1980 | India | 6 | 28 | 5/74 | 22.32 | 2 | 0 |
| Dilip Doshi # | 1979-1980 | India | 6 | 27 | 6/103 | 23.33 | 2 | 0 |
| Anil Kumble | 2004-2005 | India | 4 | 27 | 7/48 | 25.37 | 3 | 1 |
| E A S Prasanna | 1969-1970 | India | 5 | 26 | 6/74 | 25.85 | 3 | 1 |
| E A S Prasanna | 1967-1968 | Australia | 4 | 25 | 6/104 | 27.44 | 2 | 0 |
| Kapil Dev | 1991-1992 | Australia | 5 | 25 | 5/97 | 25.80 | 2 | 0 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 2016-2017 | India | 4 | 25 | 6/63 | 18.56 | 2 | 0 |
AUSTRALIA
| Player | Season | in | Matches | Wikets | Best | Average | 5WI | 10WM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig McDermott | 1991-1992 | Australia | 5 | 31 | 5/54 | 21.61 | 3 | 1 |
| Alan Davidson | 1959-1960 | India | 5 | 29 | 7/93 | 14.86 | 2 | 1 |
| Richie Benaud | 1959-1960 | India | 5 | 29 | 5/43 | 19.59 | 2 | 0 |
| Ashley Mallett | 1969-1970 | India | 5 | 28 | 6/64 | 19.11 | 3 | 1 |
| Wayne Clark # | 1977-1978 | Australia | 5 | 28 | 4/46 | 25.04 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Hilfenhaus | 2011-2012 | Australia | 4 | 27 | 5/75 | 17.22 | 2 | 0 |
# in debut series
IMAGE: Anil Kumble has taken 111 of his 619 Test wickets against the Aussies. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
MOST WICKETS IN INDIA-AUSTRALIA TESTS
INDIA
| Player | Tests | Wickets | Best | 5WI | 10WM | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anil Kumble | 20 | 111 | 8/141 | 10 | 2 | 30.32 | 58.70 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 18 | 95 | 8/84 | 7 | 3 | 29.96 | 61.12 |
| Kapil Dev | 20 | 79 | 8/106 | 7 | 0 | 25.35 | 60.08 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 14 | 71 | 7/103 | 4 | 1 | 32.49 | 68.14 |
| Zaheer Khan | 19 | 61 | 5/91 | 3 | 0 | 35.59 | 63.23 |
| E A S Prasanna | 13 | 57 | 6/74 | 5 | 1 | 28.71 | 75.98 |
| Bishan Singh Bedi | 12 | 56 | 7/98 | 5 | 1 | 24.91 | 72.02 |
| Shivlal Yadav | 13 | 55 | 5/99 | 1 | 0 | 28.78 | 72.64 |
AUSTRALIA
| Player | Tests | Wickets | Best | 5WI | 10WM | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Lyon | 14 | 64 | 8/50 | 5 | 1 | 33.31 | 57.25 |
| Brett Lee | 12 | 53 | 5/47 | 2 | 0 | 31.98 | 57.13 |
| Richie Benaud | 8 | 52 | 7/72 | 5 | 1 | 18.38 | 56.79 |
| Glenn McGrath | 11 | 51 | 5/48 | 2 | 1 | 18.64 | 50.16 |
IMAGE: Mahendra Singh Dhoni has several records behind the stumps against Australia. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
MOST DISMISSALS IN AN INNINGS
INDIA
| Dismissals | Catshes | Stumpings | 'Keeper | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 0 | M S Dhoni | Perth | 2007-2008 |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | M S Dhoni | Mohali | 2012-2013 |
| 5 | 4 | 1 | M S Dhoni | Melbourne | 2014-2015 |
AUSTRALIA
| Dismissals | Catches | Stumpings | 'Keeper | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 6 | 0 | Brad Haddin | Brisbane | 2014-2015 |
| 5 | 5 | 0 | Rod Marsh | Sydney | 1980-1981 |
| 5 | 5 | 0 | Brad Haddin | Melbourne | 2011-2012 |
MOST DISMISSALS IN A MATCH
INDIA
| Dismissals | Catches | Stumpings | 'Keeper | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 8 | 1 | M S Dhoni | Melbourne | 2014-2015 |
| 8 | 7 | 1 | M S Dhoni | Perth | 2007-2008 |
| 7 | 4 | 3 | M S Dhoni | Bengaluru | 2010-2011 |
| 7 | 5 | 2 | M S Dhoni | Mohali | 2012-2013 |
AUSTRALIA
| Dismissals | Catches | Stumpings | 'Keeper | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 9 | 0 | Brad Haddin | Brisbane | 2014-2015 |
| 8 | 7 | 1 | Rod Marsh | Sydney | 1980-1981 |
| 8 | 8 | 0 | Adam Gilchrist | Melbourne | 2007-2008 |
MOST DISMISSALS IN A SERIES
INDIA
| Dismissals | Catches | Stumpings | Player | Tests | Season | in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 11 | 3 | S M H Kirmani | 6 | 1979-1980 | India |
| 14 | 9 | 5 | M S Dhoni | 4 | 2012-2013 | India |
| 14 | 13 | 1 | M S Dhoni | 2 | 2014-2015 | Australia |
| 14 | 13 | 1 | Wriddhiman Saha | 4 | 2016-2017 | India |
AUSTRALIA
| Dismissals | Catches | Stumpings | Player | Tests | Season | in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 25 | 0 | Adam Gilchrist | 4 | 2007-2008 | Australia |
| 22 | 22 | 0 | Steve Rixon | 5 | 1977-1978 | Australia |
| 22 | 21 | 1 | Brad Haddin | 4 | 2014-2015 | Australia |
| 19 | 19 | 0 | Ian Healy | 5 | 1991-1992 | Australia |
| 18 | 18 | 0 | Brad Haddin | 4 | 2011-2012 | Australia |
MOST DISMISSALS IN INDIA-AUSTRALIA TESTS
INDIA
| Dismissals | Catches | Stumpings | Player | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 56 | 15 | M S Dhoni | 19 |
| 41 | 29 | 12 | S M H Kirmani | 17 |
| 20 | 19 | 1 | Wriddhiman Saha | 7 |
AUSTRALIA
| Dismissals | Catches | Stumpings | Player | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | 73 | 2 | Adam Gilchrist | 18 |
| 58 | 56 | 2 | Brad Haddin | 13 |
| 26 | 26 | 0 | Ian Healy | 9 |
| 22 | 22 | 0 | Steve Rixon | 5 |
| 20 | 18 | 2 | Wally Grout | 5 |
MOST CATCHES IN AN INNINGS
INDIA
| Catche | Player | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | K Srikkanth | Perth | 1991-1992 |
| 4 | Mohammad Kaif | Mumbai | 2004-2005 |
AUSTRALIA:
| Catches | Player | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Alan Davidson | Delhi | 1959-1960 |
| 4 | Dave Whatmore | Kanpur | 1979-1980 |
| 4 | Mark Waugh | Melbourne | 1999-2000 |
| 4 | Mark Waugh | Chennai | 2000-2001 |
| 4 | Matthew Hayden | Brisbane | 2003-2004 |
MOST CATCHES IN A MATCH
INDIA
| Catches | Player | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Eknath Solkar | Madras | 1969-1970 |
| 5 | Krishnamchari Srikkanth | Perth | 1991-1992 |
| 5 | Rahul Dravid | Chennai | 1997-1998 |
AUSTRALIA
| Catches | Player | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Dave Whatmore | Kanpur | 1979-1980 |
| 6 | Mark Waugh | Chennai | 2000-2001 |
| 5 | Neil Harvey | Kanpur | 1959-1960 |
| 5 | Bobby Simpson | Sydney | 1967-1968 |
| 5 | Mike Hussey | Sydney | 2007-2008 |
MOST CATCHES IN A SERIES
INDIA
| Catches | Player | Tests | Season | in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Rahul Dravid | 4 | 2004-05 | India |
| 10 | Eknath Solkar | 4 | 1969-70 | India |
AUSTRALIA
| Catches | Player | Tests | Season | in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Dave Whatmore | 5 | 1979-80 | India |
| 10 | Neil Harvey | 3 | 1956-57 | India |
| 10 | Ian Chappell | 5 | 1969-1970 | India |
| 10 | Mark Waugh | 4 | 1991-92 | Australia |
MOST CATCHES IN INDIA-AUSTRALIA TESTS
INDIA
| Catches | Player | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | Rahul Dravid | 32 |
| 36 | V V S Laxman | 29 |
| 23 | Sachin Tendulkar | 39 |
| 22 | Virender Sehwag | 22 |
AUSTRALIA
| Catches | Player | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Ricky Ponting | 29 |
| 29 | Mark Waugh | 14 |
| 29 | Michael Clarke | 22 |
| 23 | Matthew Hayden | 18 |
| 21 | Bobby Simpson | 11 |
| 20 | Mike Hussey | 14 |
MOST APPEARANCES
INDIA
| Player | Tests | Span |
|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 39 | 1991-2013 |
| Rahul Dravid | 32 | 1996-2012 |
| V V S Laxman | 29 | 1998-2012 |
| Dilip Vengsarkar | 24 | 1977-1992 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 24 | 1996-2008 |
| Virender Sehwag | 22 | 2003-2013 |
| Ishant Sharma | 22 | 2008-2017 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 20 | 1977-1986 |
| Kapil Dev | 20 | 1979-1992 |
| Anil Kumble | 20 | 1996-2008 |
AUSTRALIA
| Player | Tests | Span |
|---|---|---|
| Ricky Ponting | 29 | 1996-2012 |
| Michael Clarke | 22 | 2004-2014 |
| Allan Border | 20 | 1979-1992 |
CAPTAINS
INDIA
| Player | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | Tied | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| M S Dhoni | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 61.54 |
| Rahul Dravid | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Bishan Singh Bedi | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Mohammad Azharuddin | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| G S Ramchand | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Virat Kohli | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Mansur Ali Khan 'Tiger' Pataudi | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 18.18 |
| Anil Kumble | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 16.66 |
| Kapil Dev | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Lala Amarnath | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Polly Umrigar | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Chandu Borde | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Virender Sehwag | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
AUSTRALIA
| Player | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | Tied | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Johnson | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Bill Lawry | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 71.43 |
| Don Bradman | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Adam Gilchrist | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 66.66 |
| Michael Clarke | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 62.50 |
| Bobby Simpson | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 60.00 |
| Steve Waugh | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Richie Benaud | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Allan Border | 11 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 36.36 |
| Greg Chappell | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Steve Smith | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 28.57 |
| Mark Taylor | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Ricky Ponting | 11 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 18.18 |
| Kim Hughes | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Ray Lindwall | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Shane Watson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
