Top 5 moments in India-Australia Tests at SCG ahead of BGT 2024-25 5th Test ft. Monkeygate 2008

Australia will take on India in the final Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 onwards. The New Year's Test in Sydney is a hallowed tradition in Australia and one that unfailingly brings thousands of people to the venue to watch their sporting heroes in action.

Several Tests have been played between the two teams at this iconic venue and many have resulted in photo finishes. India have won just once in Sydney, back in 1978, although they will be proud of the fact that they have been unbeaten here in their last three outings.

In this listicle, we take a look at the top five moments from the India-Australia Tests at the SCG:

Top 5 moments in India-Australia Tests at SCG ahead of BGT 2024-25 5th Test

#5 Cheteshwar Pujara's iconic 193, 2018-19

India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, discarded from the current setup due to his perceived low scoring rate, was the hero for the Men in Blue in the 2018-19 Sydney Test. India batted first and put up a mammoth 627-7 declared on the board, thanks largely to the Saurashtra batter's 193, which came off 373 balls.

Australia managed 300 in their first innings and were asked to follow on by the visitors. However, not much time was left in the game, which ended in a draw. Pujara's knock consisted of 22 boundaries and wore the Aussie bowlers down, who were then torn apart by Rishabh Pant (189-ball 159 not out).

#4 Sachin Tendulkar's 241 in Steve Waugh's last Test, 2003-04

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar showed why he was the boss of the world with a stellar 241 in the final Test of the 2003-04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Going through a poor run of form throughout the series, Tendulkar diagnosed that he was not driving the ball well through the cover region and sought to eliminate the shot entirely from his armory.

Hence, the innings that he played was entirely devoid of cover drives, a shot that is often referred to as the bread and butter for batters. The mental discipline that Tendulkar showed could act as an excellent motivator for the current India team, who are struggling Down Under. This was also the great Steve Waugh's final Test, who finished with 80 in his last innings. The match was drawn.

#3 Michael Clarke's triple century, 2011-12

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke went through a fine run of form when India visited them for the 2011-12 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He finished with 626 runs at an average of 125. In the second Test at his home ground SCG, Clarke took a special liking to the Indian bowlers and carted them across the ground to score 329 off 468 deliveries.

Ricky Ponting (134) and Michael Hussey (150 not out) also scored tons for Australia, helping them get to 649-4 declared in response to India's 191 in the first innings. The visitors put up a bit of a fight in the second innings and amassed 400, thanks to Sachin Tendulkar's 80, but still collapsed to an innings defeat to the hosts.

#2 Vihari and Ashwin's great escape, 2020-21

Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari emerged as India's great saviors the last time these two teams met at the hallowed SCG. Set an imposing target of 407 to chase in the fourth innings, the duo stitched together a brilliant partnership that ensured a historic draw for the visitors.

Although their partnership was only 62 runs, Ashwin and Vihari faced 128 and 161 balls, respectively, to make sure India did not lose. What made this partnership special is that both players were battling injuries - Vihari with hamstring and Ashwin with back - but they showed immense grit and determination to stave off defeat. India could have done well with their presence on the ongoing tour.

#1 Monkeygate, 2007-08

Perhaps the most iconic Test match played between India and Australia at the SCG was the second in the 2007-08 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Leading the series 1-0 after winning the first match in Melbourne, Australia had their tails up and seemed dominant. However, this match at the SCG - won by Australia - was marred with poor umpiring decisions, especially by on-field professionals Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson.

Several controversial decisions were given against India, with the umpires seemingly asking for the Australian fielders' opinions, while replays on television suggested otherwise. In the same match, there were reports of a fallout between Harbhajan Singh and the late Andrew Symonds, with the latter accusing the former of making racist comments (monkey) against him.

Eventually, the incident led to a hearing in which Harbhajan was acquitted by a New Zealand High Court judge. India skipper Anil Kumble, who would later go on to lead his team to a historic win in the next Test in Perth, etched his name in the annals of history with his statement: "Only one team was playing with the spirit of the game, that's all I can say," post the Monkeygate and umpiring scandals.