IND Vs AUS, WTC Final 2023: Interesting Facts About India, Australia Ahead Of Mega Clash

India will be playing Australia in the final of the World Test Championship at the Oval on Wednesday.

New Delhi: India will be playing the final of World Test Championship (WTC) against Australia at the Oval that starts on Wednesday. While this is the second time India are playing in the summit clash, for Australia, they are playing such a big final for the first time.

With just few hours to go before the historic Test match, let up take a look at some of the interesting facts about both India and Australia and the venue.

• India will be playing their second Test at a neutral venue when they meet Australia in the WTC final at The Oval on June 7. For Australia, this Test will be the 13th Test at a neutral venue.
• Australia will be meeting India as their third opponent at a neutral venue. Australia’s two opponents at a neutral venue were South Africa {three Tests} and Pakistan {nine Tests}
• Australia-South Africa neutral venue Tests were played in England. Australia-Pakistan neutral venue Tests were played in Sri Lanka (1 Test), England (2 Tests) and in United Arab Emirates (6 Tests – two at Sharjah, two at Dubai and two at Abu Dhabhi}
• Pat Cummins and Rohit Sharma will be leading Australia and India respectively for the first time in a neutral venue Test. They will become the 30th and 31st captains to lead a team in a neutral Test.
• Pat Cummins will be the sixth captain to lead Australia in a neutral Test, while Rohit Sharma will become the second captain to lead India in a neutral Test.

Let us have an eye view of the statistics of India-Australia Test series

• India and Australia have played 106 Tests. India has won 32 Tests, Australia has won 44 Tests and 29 Tests are drawn.
  India have been led by 18 captains against Australia. Australia has been led by 18 captains against India. Rohit Sharma has led India in four Tests against Australia, while Pat Cummins has led Australia in two Tests against India.
• India’s highest team total against Australia is 705/4 declared at Sydney in January 2004. It also provides the only occasion of a team posting a total of 700-plus runs in the India-Australia Test series. It also represents the highest team total by a team in India-Australia Test series. Australia’s 674 at Adelaide in Jan 1948 is its highest team total against India. India has posted team totals of 600-plus runs on seven occasions against Australia, while Australia has posted team totals of 600-plus runs on three occasions against India.
• India’s 36 all out at Adelaide in December 2020 represent its lowest total in an innings against Australia. India has been dismissed for totals of less than 100 runs against Australia on four occasions. Australia’s 83 all out at Melbourne in February 1981 represent its lowest total in an innings against India. Australia has been dismissed for totals of less than 100 runs against India on three occasions.
• Sachin Tendulkar’s 3630 run aggregate represent the most runs by an Indian batsman against Australia. He remains the only Indian batsman to aggregate 3000-plus runs against Australia. There are twelve occasions of Indian batsmen scoring 1000-plus runs against Australia of which one batsman has an aggregate of 3000-plus runs and three batsmen aggregating 2000 plus runs (2000 to 2999).
• Ricky Ponting’s 2555 run aggregate represent the most runs by an Australian batsman against India. There are twelve occasions of Australian batsmen scoring 1000 plus runs against India of which two batsmen aggregating 2000 plus runs. Sachi Tendulkar’s 3630 run aggregate represent the most runs by a batsman in India-Australia Test series.
• Indian batsmen have scored 87 centuries against Australia. Of these 87 centuries, ten are double centuries. VVS Laxman’s 281 at Kolkata in March 2001 represent the highest individual innings by an Indian batsman against Australia. It also represents the only score of 250 plus by an Indian batsman against Australia.
• Indian batsmen have scored 41 centuries against Australia at home. Of these 41 centuries, seven are double centuries. VVS Laxman’s 281 at Kolkata in Mar 2001 represent the highest individual innings by an Indian batsman against Australia at home. It also represents the only score of 250 plus by an Indian batsman against Australia at home.
• Indian batsmen have scored 46 centuries against Australia in Australia. Of these 46 centuries, three are double centuries. Sachin Tendulkar’s 241 not out at Sydney in January 2004 represent the highest individual innings by an Indian batsman against Australia in Australia
• Australian batsmen have scored 107 centuries against India. Of these 107 centuries, one is a triple century and ten are double centuries. Michael Clarke’s 329 not out Sydney in January 2012 represent the highest individual innings by an Australian batsman against India. It also represents the only score of 300 plus by an Australian batsman against India.
• Australian batsmen have scored 66 centuries against India at home. Of these 66 centuries, one is a triple century and eight are double centuries. Michael Clarke’s 329 not out Sydney in Jan 2012 represent the highest individual innings by an Australian batsman against India. It also represents the only score of 300 plus by an Australian batsman against India.
  Australian batsmen have scored 41 centuries against India in India. Of these 41 centuries, two are double centuries. Dean Jones’ 210 at Chennai in September 1986 represent the highest individual innings by an Australian batsman against India in India.
• The India-Australia series has witnessed 15 centuries by Indian captains against Australia. MS Dhoni’s 224 at Chennai in Febuary 2013 not only represents the highest individual innings by an Indian captain against Australia but also represents the only double century by an Indian captain against Australia
• Australian captains have scored 28 centuries against India. Of these 28 centuries, one is a triple century and two are double century. Michael Clarke’s 329 not out Sydney in Jan 2012 represent the highest individual innings by an Australian captain against India. It not only represents the only score of 300 plus by an Australian captain against India, but also represents the only score of 300 plus runs by a captain in India-Australia Test series
• Indian wicket keepers have scored five centuries against Australia. MS Dhoni’s 224 at Chennai in Feb 2013 not only represents the highest individual innings by an Indian wicket keeper against Australia but also represents the only double century by an Indian wicket keeper against Australia. It also represents the only double century by a wicket keeper in India-Australia test series.
• Australian wicket keepers have scored two centuries against India – both by AC Gilchrist. 122 at Wankhede in Feb 2001 and 104 at Bengaluru in Oct 2004. AC Gilchrist’s 122 at Wankhede in Febuary 2001 represents the highest individual innings by an Australian wicket keeper against India.
• MS Dhoni for India and Aadam Gilchrist for Australia have scored centuries as captain wicket keeper in India-Australia test series. MS Dhoni scored 224 against Australia at Chennai in February 2013, while Gilchrist scored 104 against India at Bengaluru in October 2004
• SR Tendulkar’s 3630 runs from 39 tests containing 27 fifties {11 centuries and 16 half centuries} is the highest run aggregate by an Indian batsman against Australia. SR Tendulkar’s 3630 run aggregate represents the highest run aggregate in India-Australia test series. SR Tendulkar’s eleven centuries represents not only the most centuries by an Indian batsman against Australia but also represents the most centuries by a batsman in India-Australia test series.
• Ricky Ponting’s 2555 runs from 29 test containing 20 fifties {08 centuries and 12 half centuries} is the highest run aggregate by an Australian batsman against India.
• Sachin Tendulkar’s run aggregate of 3630 runs, his 39 tests and 74 innings, eight not outs against Australia, 27 fifties, eleven centuries, sixteen half centuries are all record parameters in India-Australia test series for most run aggregate, most test appearances, most innings appearances, most not outs, most fifties, most centuries and most half centuries.
• There are 76 occasions of Indian bowlers captain five or more wickets against Australia. Of these 76 occasions, there is one occasion of a bowler capturing nine wickets in an innings and three occasions of bowlers capturing eight wickets in an innings. JM Patel’s 9 for 69 at Kanpur in December 1959 represents the best innings bowling effort by an Indian bowler against Australia. This effort not only represents the only occasion of a bowler capturing nine wickets in an innings in India-Australia test series, but also represents the best innings bowling effort in India-Australia test series.
• There are 66 occasions of Australian bowlers captain five or more wickets against India. Of these 66 occasions, there are three occasions of bowlers capturing eight wickets in an innings. Nathan Lyon’s 8 for 50 at Bengaluru in March 2017 represents the best innings bowling effort by an Australian bowler against India.
• The series has witnessed 13 occasions of Indian bowlers capturing ten or more wickets in a match against Australia. Harbhajan Singh’s 15 for 217 runs at Chennai in Mar 2001 is the best match bowling effort by an Indian bowler against Australia. This effort not only represents the only occasion of a bowler capturing fifteen wickets in a match in India-Australia test series, but also represents the best match bowling effort in India-Australia test series.
• There are 16 occasions of Australian bowlers capturing ten or more wickets in a match against India. Steve O’Keefe’s 12 for 70 at Pune in February 2017 is the best match bowling effort by an Australian bowler against India.
• Indian batsmen have posted 109 three figure partnerships against Australia. Of these 109 partnerships, five are 300 plus runs partnerships, six are 200 to 299 runs partnerships. 376 runs partnership for the fifth wicket in India’s second innings between Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman at Kolkata in Mar 2001 represent India’s highest partnership for any wicket against Australia.
• Australian batsmen have posted 123 three figure partnerships against India. Of these 123 partnerships, two are 300 plus runs partnerships and 14 are 200 to 299 runs partnerships. 386 runs partnership for the fourth wicket in Australia’s first innings at Adelaide in Jan 2012 represent Australia’s highest partnership for any wicket against India. This partnership also represents the highest partnership for any wicket in India-Australia test series.
• Adam Gilchrist’s 75 dismissals {73 catches and two stumping} represent the most dismissals by an Australian glove man against India. AC Gilchrist’s 73 catches represent the most catches pouched by an Australian wicket keeper against India
  MS Dhoni with 71 dismissals {56 catches and 15 stumping} holds the record for most dismissals by an Indian wicket keeper against Australia. His 15 stumping is a record for most stumping dismissals by an Indian wicket keeper against Australia. It is also a record for most stumping dismissals by any wicket keeper in India-Australia test series.
• Brad Haddin and Rishabh Pant own the record for most dismissals in an innings for Australia and India respectively. Both the wicketkeepers have effected six dismissals {all caught}
• Rahul Dravid with 46 catches and Ricky Ponting with 36 catches own the record for most catches by a fieldsman in the series for India and Australia respectively.
• Krish Srikkanth of India holds the record for most catches in an innings against Australia. He held five catches in Australia’s first innings at Perth in February 1992.

(Stats provided by cricket statistician Gopalakrishna Ramaswamy. He is the recipient of Dasara Kreeda Prashasthi in 1989 and Rajyotsava Prashasthi in 2010 from Government of Karnataka. Ramaswamy is also a former member of the Statistical Committee of BCCI)