India's All-time Test XI in Australia

#2 Middle Order

Let us look at the options for the middle order.

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin has an impressive record in Australia. He has played 20 Tests and has scored more than 1800 runs at an impressive average of 53.20. He also has scored 6 hundreds and 7 fifties. He was unlucky a few times as he got out in the 80s and 90s and wasn't able to convert them to hundreds.

On his first tour of Australia in 1992, he scored his second hundred in Test matches in Sydney. He scored 148* from just 213 balls. That was the only Test match of that tour which India managed to draw. Sydney has been a happy hunting ground for Sachin as he scored his second highest score of 241* in Test matches in Sydney in 2004.

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Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli was a part of the last 2 Australian tours. He has scored 992 runs in just 8 Tests at an average of 62. He has scored 5 hundreds and 2 fifties in Australia. In the first Test of the 2014 Australian tour, Virat Kohli scored hundreds in both the innings, 115 in the first innings and 141 in the second but India still lost the match by 48 runs.

He scored 169 in the third Test of that tour and 147 in the fourth one.

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Mohinder Amarnath

In 8 games Amarnath scored 668 runs at an average of 55.66. He scored 2 hundreds and 3 fifties and he also scored his career-best 138 in Australia. In bowling, he has 8 wickets at an average of 35.14.

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VVS Laxman

VVS Laxman had a special liking for Australia and he performed exceptionally well against them. His 281 also came against them at Eden Gardens. In Australia, he played 15 matches and scored 1236 runs at an average of 44.14. He scored 4 hundreds and 4 fifties in Australia and 178 was his highest score.

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Gundappa Vishwanath

In Australia, Gundappa Vishwanath scored 686 runs in 8 matches at an average of 45.73 scoring 1 hundred and 5 fifties.

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Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane was a part of the team in the 2014 Australian tour and in 4 matches he scored 399 runs at an average of 57. He scored 2 fifties and a 147.

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Rahul Dravid

In Australia, Rahul Dravid played 16 Tests and scored 1166 runs at an average of 41.64. He scored 6 fifties and a hundred, with the score of 233 he scored in Adelaide being the one hundred he has to his name against Australia. His 233 helped India to win the Adelaide Test and because of that win, India managed to draw that series.

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Since Rahul Dravid doesn't have a very impressive average in Australia, Sachin will play at number 3 in this side and Virat Kohli takes the number 4 spot because of his staggering runs.

Although Rahane has a slightly better average than Amarnath, the latter will take the number 5 spot as Rahane has played fewer games than Amarnath and Amarnath can bowl a few overs too if needed.