India’s Test Record (results) at the MCG

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is one of the most prestigious Test venues in the world and one which has a lot of history attached with it. It is venue for the first ever Test match between Australia & England back in 1877 and has hosted 116 Tests in all. It also holds Australia’s annual traditional Boxing-Day Test (26 December) every year.

MCG commonly known as the “G” holds a special place when it comes to Indian cricket as well. This venue has hosted India in 14 out of the 52 Tests they have played each other in Australia and is the highest across any venue in Australia. Here in this article, we look upon India’s overall record at MCG all these years.

You can also find similar stats for India in other Australian venues here.

India’s Test Record at the MCG

Key Stats

4 – The number of Test wins India has registered at MCG and this is by far their most successful venue in Australia. Out of the 9 Tests they have won in Australia, four of them came at Melbourne.

465 – This is the highest total posted by India at MCG against Australia and it came in a drawn Test match in 2014, where two of India’s batters Virat Kohli (169) and Ajinkya Rahane (147) scored centuries.

3 – Apart from their 465 in 2014, India had two more scores of 400 plus in a Test innings at Melbourne. While the first one (445) came in the 1985/86 tour, the third and final instance (443/7d) came in a winning cause in the 2020/21 series.

67 – Similarly, India’s lowest Test score at the “G” was in their second game at this back in 1948 and India lost the game.

Innings & 177 runs – In this game where India got bowled out for a mere 67 in the second innings, the visiting team succumbed to their worst ever Test defeat at MCG and it was by an innings & 177 runs. Australia made 575/5 in the first innings before bowling out India for 331 & 67 respectively in the two innings.

222 – India’s first and the biggest win till date at the MCG and it was in the third Test of the 1977/78 series which ended 3-2 in favor of the Aussies. Sunil Gavaskar’s 118 in the second innings gave India them a 386-run cushion before Bhagwat Chandrasekhar’s 12-wicket haul (6/52 & 6/52) heroics gave them their first win at this venue.

449 – Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most among Indian batters at the MCG and he did it in 10 innings (5 Tests) at an average of 44.90 with the help of 4 fifty plus scores, including a century (116 in the 1999 tour).

2 – Players who have made more than one century at the MCG. One is Ajinkya Rahane who made tons in 2014 & 2020 tours, and the other batter is Vinoo Mankad who smashed 2 centuries in two games in India’s maiden tour to Australia in 1948.

8 – Number of Indian batters to have scored at least a ton at MCG. Apart from Rahane, Mankad, Sachin and Sunil Gavaskar, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Gundappa Vishwanath, and Virender Sehwag are the four others to register a 3-figure score at MCG.

Sachin’s single century in MCG adds to his 9 centuries against Australia in the BGT series, makes him the most century scorer in the tournament.

15 – Jasprit Bumrah and Anil Kumble have taken the most wickets (15) among Indian bowlers at the MCG. 6 other bowlers namely, Ravi Ashwin (14), Kapil Dev (14), Umesh Yadav (13), Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (12), Umesh Yadav (12) and Ajit Agarkar (10) have picked 10 or more wickets at this venue.

5 – Number of bowlers to have taken five-wicket haul at MCG and they are Bumrah, Kumble, Kapil Dev, Chandrasekhar & Erapalli Prasanna. Out of these 5, Kumble, Kapil Dev, and Chandrasekhar done it twice.

Read: Border Gavaskar Trophy Records