What happened the last time India played Australia in a Test in Perth?

The Perth Stadium has hosted only four Test matches thus far, with Australia’s 2018 clash against India being the first red-ball game at the venue. The two cricketing giants squared off in the second Test of the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy then.

Before entering the field for the second Test, team India had a 1-0 lead in the series, having won the game under Virat Kohli’s captaincy. But they had to surrender the lead when the hosts clinched a win in the Perth Test to level the series 1-1.

It all started with Australia skipper Tim Paine winning the toss and opting to bat first. Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch stitched a massive 112-run partnership before India finally got the opening breakthrough as Jasprit Bumrah dismissed the latter.

Indian bowlers struggled on the pitch, but somehow bowled the hosts out for 326 in the 109th over on the second day of the Test. Ishant Sharma shone with the ball and picked up a four-wicket haul while Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, and Hanuma Vihari picked up two wickets each.

India finished Day 2 at 172/3, with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane remaining unbeaten after getting their respective half-centuries. The Indian skipper, on Day 3 of the Test, surpassed the three-figure mark to get a magnificent hundred as India looked on track to put up a high total.

Middle-order batters Vihari and Rishabh Pant contributed 20 and 36 runs respectively as India closed their first innings on 283, with Nathan Lyon picking up a five-wicket haul. Australia then posted 243 runs in the second innings as Mohammed Shami picked up a six-fer.

Virat Kohli's century went in vain as Australia clinched a 146-run win

Chasing a 287-run target, India ended Day 4 of play at 112/5 as the top and middle-order batters failed to put on a show. On the final day of the Test, the visitors could add only 28 more runs as the hosts dished them out for 140. Combined efforts from the Australian bowlers helped them seal a 146-run win and level the series 1-1.

Almost six years since that match, Australia and India are set to face off at the same venue. The two teams will clash in the five-match Border Gavaskar Trophy series starting Friday, November 22, with the first match being hosted by Perth.