IND vs AUS 4th Test: Unbeaten in Last 3 – What is India’s Record at MCG Before Boxing Day Clash Against Australia?

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IND vs AUS 4th Test: Having avoided going down in the series after drawing the rain-hit Brisbane Test, India will return to one their recent happy hunting grounds in Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to face Australia in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from Thursday (December 26).

India led by stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah won the opening Test at Perth by 295 runs, but went down to Pat Cummins' Australia in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide by 10 wickets before the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane ended in a draw due to rain.

Rohit Sharma's Team India will now head into the Boxing Day Test against Australia with a quest to extend their unbeaten record to four at Melbourne venue, having defeated the home side when they toured Down Under last time around.

India will in fact be aiming for a win in the remaining two tests at the MCG and Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) with a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final up for grabs.

Australia too will be looking to avoid defeat with similar ambitions - a chance to defend their WTC title at the Home of Cricket - Lord's in London next year. Australia had got better off India in the WTC Final in 2023.

However, the hosts will be vary of the visiting team's recent record at the Melbourne venue. Team India has won two and draw one of their recent three Tests at the MCG, where Australia also possess has won the last four in a row.

In the last 10 Tests at the MCG, Australia has won six and lost two, while two more Tests have ended in a draw. The home side has lost to India twice and drawn once against the Men in Blue in the recent ten red ball matches at the Melbourne venue.

India has never lost to Australia in Tests in Melbourne since 2014. The visitors will look to keep that record intact at the Melbourne Cricket Ground rather than the record from the previous five results at the G. Here is a look at India's numbers at the Melbourne venue:

India's record at MCG

In 14 Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, India has won 4 times with their wins coming in 1977, 1982, 2018 and 2020. The Indian cricket team has also lost 8 times against the hosts, but their last defeat came back in 2011, when they extended their winless record to 5.

Apart from the 4 wins and 2 draws, India has also drawn 2 Test matches in Melbourne with their draw results coming in 2014 and 1985. Since 1985, India faced Australia on Boxing Day, winning 2 and losing 5 and drawing 2 in that period. Here is a complete look at India's stats at the venue:

• Matches: 14
• Won: 4
• Lost: 8
• Drawn: 2
• Won Batting First: 3
• Won Batting Second: 1 (Plus 2 draws)
• Highest Total: 465 All Out in 2014
• Lowest Total: 67 All Out in 1948
• Highest Individual Score: Virender Sehwag - 195 in 2003
• Most Runs (Overall): Sachin Tendulkar - 449 runs in 10 innings
• Most Runs (Current): Virat Kohli - 316 runs in 6 innings
• Most 100s: Ajinkya Rahane & Vinoo Mankad - 2 centuries each
• Most 50s: Sachin Tendulkar - 3 fifties
• Best Bowling Innings: Jasprit Bumrah - 6 for 33 in 2018
• Best Bowling Match: BS Chandrasekhar - 12 for 104 in 1977
• Most Wickets (Overall & Current): Jasprit Bumrah - 15 wickets in 4 innings | Anil Kumble - 15 wickets in 6 innings

India's Test Results at MCG

As mentioned earlier, India has lost eight times in Test matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, but are unbeaten in the last three visits to the venue for a red ball game. Here is a look at India's results at the venue:

• 1948: Australia won by 233 runs
• 1948: Australia won by an innings and 177 runs
• 1967: Australia won by an innings and 4 runs
• 1977: India won by 222 runs
• 1981: India won by 59 runs
• 1985: Match drawn
• 1991: Australia won by 8 wickets
• 1999: Australia won by 180 runs
• 2003: Australia won by 9 wickets
• 2007: Australia won by 337 runs
• 2011: Australia won by 122 runs
• 2014: Match drawn
• 2018: India won by 137 runs
• 2020: India won by 8 wickets