Border Gavaskar trophy is probably the biggest rivalry in Test match cricket after the Ashes and it’s going to get underway again on 17th of December.
Currently, India holds the Border Gavaskar trophy having secured a 2-1 victory over Australia in Australia in 2018 and they would like to retain the trophy at the end of this Australian summer.
Let’s have a look at the 5 highest individual scores in the history of Border Gavaskar trophy –
1. Michael Clarke (329)
This was the second Test match of India’s tour of Australia in Sydney in 2011-12. India were already trailing 0-1 in the series and they were bundled out for just 191 runs in the first innings of the second game as well.
Australia had the opportunity to pile more pressure on India and they didn’t just pile more pressure, they batted India completely out of the game. Courtesy a triple hundred by the captain Michael Clarke who batted at no. 5 and scored 329 runs off just 468 balls, Australia scored 659 in their first innings.
Although India fought back a little in the second innings and got to the mark of 400, they still couldn’t prevent the innings defeat as Australia took a 2-0 lead in the series.
2. VVS Laxman (281)
Who can forget this epic Test match of the Border Gavaskar trophy of 2001? India had lost the first game of the series in Mumbai and seemed like going downhill in the second Test match in Kolkata as well, as follow on was enforced by Australia after the first innings.
But, a certain VVS Laxman, who was promoted in the batting order in the second innings and batted at no. 3, ended up creating history with an epic knock of 281 which not only helped India prevent the innings defeat, but gave them enough lead to press a victory of their own on a deteriorating wicket on the 5th day.
That score of 281 by Laxman was the highest score ever by an Indian batsman in Test match cricket at that stage. The record was, however, broken later by Virender Sehwag.
3. Ricky Ponting (257)
It was the third game of the Border Gavaskar trophy of 2003-04. After India’s historic victory in the Adelaide Test match prior to that, the series was pretty evenly poised at that stage and could have gone either way.
But, Ricky Ponting, the vice-captain of Australia at that stage, rose to the occasion and made sure Australia had an upper hand in the series as he scored a double hundred and put Australia well and truly on the driving seat.
As a result of Ponting’s 257 off 458 balls in that Test match at MCG, Australia levelled the series 1-1 and went into the last Test match with momentum in their favour.
4. Ricky Ponting (242)
This was one of those double hundreds of Ponting which surprisingly didn’t result in an Australian victory even though he helped Australia get to the score of more than 550 in the first innings.
Ponting faced 352 balls in the first innings of that Test match in Adelaide and scored 242 runs with 31 fours, but India still pulled off a miracle courtesy a double hundred by Rahul Dravid and a 6-wicket haul by Ajit Agarkar.
5. Sachin Tendulkar (241)
This was the last Test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy of 2003-04 and was the decider as both the teams had won a Test match each prior to that.
Tendulkar hadn’t had a great series up until that stage and he was getting out a lot while driving the ball. So, the master blaster decided he wouldn’t play a single cover drive in the last Test match in Sydney and he ended up scoring a double hundred without playing a single cover drive which was jaw-dropping stuff for everyone.
It was a remarkable innings by Tendulkar courtesy of which India not only drew that Sydney Test match but drew the Test series as well on the Australian soil.
