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How did Indian cricket team fare in their last 3 matches at the MCG?

Here is the complete list of results from the last three times the Indian cricket team played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground ahead of the Boxing Day Test match starting on Thursday.

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Rohit Sharma and his team are in Melbourne to take on high-flying Australia in the 4th Test match of the Border Gavaskar series. After three matches being played the two teams cannot be separated with the series now 1-1. India and Australia won the first two games in Perth and Adelaide respectively. 

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The series then moved to Brisbane in Gabba where the match ended in a stalemate. Both teams tried to make a game out of it on the final day but Rain had different plans. It is said that the Boxing Day Test match is already set to witness massive crowds. Australia are set to field their 4th youngest debutant in Sam Konstas during the game. 

For India, it is a huge game with massive WTC points on offer. A loss or draw in the 4th game will mean that India will have to depend on other results going their way. So far India has played 14 games at the MCG and have won just four games while losing on 8 occasions. The iconic venue has just seen 2 drawn games between the two sides. 

Here are India’s last three games at MCG

3- KL Rahul makes his debut and MS Dhoni bids adieu – 2014- match drawn 

Only one of the two drawn games at this venue between Australia and India happened during the 2014 tour. This was the game in which KL Rahul made his Test debut and former India skipper MS Dhoni played the last of his 90 Tests for India before retiring from the format. Australia batted first and Steve Smith tormented India once more with 192 off 305 balls.

The home team were bowled out for 530 with half-centuries from Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, and Ryan Harris. For India, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane scored centuries as India scored 465 on board. Aussies scored 318/9 declared to set India's target of 374 as the match ended in a draw. KL Rahul on his debut scored 3 and 1 while MS Dhoni scored 11 and 24 not out to end his Test career. 

2- Pujara and Bumrah magic shines through MCG again – 2018 – India win by 137 runs

Team India came into the 3rd Test with the series level at 1-1. Virat Kohli’s side batted first and scored 443/7. Cheteshwar Pujara scored his 2nd ton of the tour as he hit 106 runs from 319 balls. Debutant Mayank Agarwal scored 76 while Virat Kohli (82) and Rohit Sharma’s (63*) were able contributions for India. Australia were all out for 151 in their 1st innings with Jasprit Bumrah taking 6/33. 

India didn’t enforce the follow-on and batted again to score 106/8 before declaring their innings. Pat Cummins was the best bowler with 6/27 with Australia having to chase 399 to win. The hosts were bowled out for 261 despite Cummins scoring 63 runs with the bat as India won by 137 runs. 

1- Ajinkya Rahane turns saviour after Adelaide disaster – 2020- India won by 8 wickets

India came to Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test after getting bowled out for 36 in the 1st Test in Adelaide. To add more misery Virat Kohli was back home to be his family as he was set to become a day. Ajinkya Rahane who was leading the side won the toss and chose to bowl as the hosts were all out for 195 in their 1st innings on the first day. The visitors scored 326 runs to take a huge lead of 131 runs. 

Ajinkya Rahane led from the front scoring 112 off 225 balls while Ravindra Jadeja scored 57 runs. In their 2nd essay, Australia were all out for just 200 as Cameron Green top scored with and Mohammed Siraj picked 3 wickets. Needing 70 to win, India won by 8 wickets with Shubman Gill not out on 35 and Rahane not out on 27. 

Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma KL Rahul MS Dhoni Ajinkya Rahane Jasprit Bumrah Indian Cricket Team Mohammed Siraj Cheteshwar Pujara
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