In the history of India vs Australia Test cricket, we have seen many great batting performances, which are memorable forever. Out of those greatest batting performances, some were very special for the particular teams.
This article brings out the top highest individual scores in India vs Australia Test cricket history.
Highest Individual Scores in India vs Australia Tests:
Here, we are going through the top five highest individual scores for each team in India vs Australia's overall Test history.
India | Australia | ||||
Player | Runs scored | Venue (Year) | Player | Runs scored | Venue (Year) |
VVS Laxman | 281 | Kolkata (2001) | Michael Clarke | 329* | Sydney (2012) |
Sachin Tendulkar | 241* | Sydney (2004) | Ricky Ponting | 257 | Melbourne (2003) |
Rahul Dravid | 233 | Adelaide (2003) | Ricky Ponting | 242 | Adelaide (2003) |
MS Dhoni | 224 | Chennai (2013) | Justin Langer | 223 | Sydney (2000) |
Sachin Tendulkar | 214 | Bengaluru (2010) | Ricky Ponting | 221 | Adelaide (2012) |
Highest Individual Scores in India vs Australia Tests in India
We are now checking the India vs Australia Test history in India, where we can see the top five highest scores for both teams.
India | Australia | ||||
Player | Runs scored | Venue (Year) | Player | Runs scored | Venue (Year) |
VVS Laxman | 281 | Kolkata (2001) | Dean Jones | 210 | Chennai (1986) |
MS Dhoni | 224 | Chennai (2013) | Matthew Hayden | 203 | Chennai (2001) |
Sachin Tendulkar | 214 | Bengaluru (2010) | Usman Khawaja | 180 | Ahmedabad (2023) |
Gautam Gambhir | 206 | Delhi (2008) | Steven Smith | 178* | Ranchi (2017) |
Cheteshwar Pujara | 204 | Hyderabad (2013) | Graham Yallop | 167 | Kolkata (1979) |
India (as hosts): Top 2 highest scores
VVS Laxman (281): It was the famous 2001 Kolkata Test knock. After Australia scored 445 runs, India were bundled out for only 171 runs as the visitors forced the hosts to follow on. VVS Laxman came to bat at no.3 and dominated the Aussie bowlers. While Laxman and Dravid had a partnership of 376 runs for the fifth wicket, Laxman scored 281 runs in 452 balls with the help of 44 fours. It was then the highest individual score by an Indian batter in a Test innings. With 19 more runs, Laxman would be the first Indian batter to record a triple century in a Test innings. On the other hand, Dravid scored 180 runs. India later secured a memorable win in that Kolkata Test match.
MS Dhoni (224): It was the first Test double-century by an Indian wicketkeeper. MS Dhoni was also a captain in that 2013 Chennai Test, where India scored 572 runs in reply to Australia’s first innings total of 380 runs. Talking about three important knocks in India’s first innings, Virat Kohli’s 107 and Sachin Tendulkar’s 81 come after the skipper’s 224 runs. The right-handed wicketkeeper-batter completed his double-century in 231 balls and hit 24 fours and six sixes to score 224 off 265 balls. Most importantly, Dhoni had a remarkable 140-run partnership with Bhuvneshwar1 Kumar for the ninth wicket, where Kumar scored only 21 runs.
Australia (as visitors): Top 2 highest scores
Dean Jones (210): The 1986 Chennai Test was one of the special Test matches. Australia batted first and scored 574/7 (declare). That innings scored three centuries. While the opener David Boon scored 122 runs and the skipper Allan Border scored 106 runs, Jones scored 210 runs off 330 balls with the help of 27 fours and two sixes. In that innings, Jones had two giant partnerships with Boon for the second wicket (158 runs) and Border for the fourth wicket (178 runs).
Matthew Hayden (203): Australian star Matthew Hayden was in great form with the bat during their India tour in 2001. The left-handed opening batter ended the series as the leading run-scorer with 549 runs with an average of 109.80, including two centuries and two half-centuries. However, the 2001 Chennai Test knock was very special for Hayden despite the match as well as the series defeat. While the Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh took seven wickets in the first innings of the 2001 Chennai Test, Australia scored 391 runs, majorly thanks to Hayden’s fighting 203 off 320 balls with the help of 15 fours and six sixes. Justin Langer (35), Mark Waugh (70), and the captain Steve Waugh (47) were the other Aussie batters to reach the double-digit scores. Australia lost their last seven wickets for only 51 runs, where Hayden had the major role to score runs before becoming the last batter to lose the wicket in that innings.
Highest Individual Scores in Australia vs India Tests in Australia
Now, we are jumping on the Australia vs India Test records in Australia with the five highest individual scores for both teams.
India | Australia | ||||
Player | Runs scored | Venue (Year) | Player | Runs scored | Venue (Year) |
Sachin Tendulkar | 241* | Sydney (2004) | Michael Clarke | 329* | Sydney (2012) |
Rahul Dravid | 233 | Adelaide (2003) | Ricky Ponting | 257 | Melbourne (2003) |
Ravi Shastri | 206 | Sydney (1992) | Ricky Ponting | 242 | Adelaide (2003) |
Virender Sehwag | 195 | Melbourne (2003) | Justin Langer | 223 | Sydney (2000) |
Cheteshwar Pujara | 193 | Sydney (2019) | Ricky Ponting | 221 | Adelaide (2012) |
Australia (as hosts): Top 2 highest scores
Michael Clarke (329): The 2012 Sydney Test experienced Australia’s dominating win against India by an innings and 68 runs. After the visiting team scored 191 all out, Australia were struggling at 37/3 when the skipper Michael Clarke came to bat. He had a 288-run partnership with the centurion Ricky Ponting (134) for the fourth wicket and another 334-run partnership with Michael Hussey (150*) for the unbroken fifth wicket. Clarke became the third Australian captain to score a triple century as the right-handed batter was not out for 329 runs, which was the second-highest individual score by an Aussie captain in Test cricket history (the record is 334 not out by Mark Taylor against Pakistan at Peshawar). Those partnerships helped the Aussies to score 659/4 before the declaration.
Ricky Ponting (257): During the India tour of Australia in 2003/04, Ricky Ponting scored two double centuries, one of which was in the winning cause at the Melbourne Test. Trailing the home series by 1-0, Australia bowled out India for 366 runs in the first innings. In reply, although the opener Justin Langer was out for 14 runs, Ponting had a dominating 234-run second-wicket partnership with the other opener Matthew Hayden. After Hayden was dismissed for 136 runs, Ponting carried his innings. Before he was stumped at 257 runs, Australia already scored 555 runs.
India (as visitors): Top 2 highest scores
Sachin Tendulkar (241*): It is known as one of the greatest knocks in Test cricket history. It can be one of the best examples for any cricketer of how to make a solid comeback without any luck after a rough time. Before this innings, Sachin hadn’t scored a Test century for more than a year (his last century was the 2002 Kolkata Test against West Indies in October-November). During that period, the right-handed batter hit only two half-centuries in 13 Test innings. In that 2003/04 Australia tour, Sachin scored 0, 1, 37, 0, and 44 runs, respectively, before that historic Sydney Test. It was the last fixture of the four-match Test series standing at 1-1. After India chose to bat first, they scored the record-breaking 705/7 before the declaration. Observing his weakness, Sachin decided to not play any cover drives in that innings, and the right-handed batter was unstoppable. Sachin scored 241 not out while he had a 353-run partnership with VVS Laxman for the fourth wicket.
