OTD 1998 India slaughtered Australia in Calcutta with an inning defeat

On this day in 1998, the India registered a dominant victory over the Australia in the second Test at Eden Gardens, winning by an innings and 219 runs in one of their most emphatic performances. Coming into the match with momentum after a convincing win in the first Test in Chennai, India carried forward their confidence.

Australia, after being put into bat, managed just 233 runs in their first innings as the top order struggled against India’s disciplined bowling attack, leaving the middle order with a rebuilding task. Steve Waugh played a fighting knock of 80, while Ricky Ponting contributed 60 runs. However, once they were dismissed, the Australian innings quickly lost direction. Lower-order batters Gavin Robertson and Michael Kasprowicz offered some resistance, but the scoring rate remained sluggish.

For India, the wickets were shared among the bowlers. Javagal Srinath, Sourav Ganguly, and Anil Kumble picked up three wickets each, ensuring Australia never gained full control.

India responded with a massive first-innings total of 633/5 declared. The foundation was laid by the openers, with VVS Laxman scoring a fluent 95 and Navjot Singh Sidhu adding 97. At No. 3, Rahul Dravid played a composed knock of 86, while Sachin Tendulkar chipped in with a brisk 79.

Sourav Ganguly further strengthened the innings with 65, but the standout performance came from captain Mohammad Azharuddin. He led from the front with an unbeaten 163 off 246 balls, striking 18 fours and three sixes in a commanding display of batting.

Australia’s bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs, with Robertson being the pick, taking 2/163 in a long spell. Trailing by a massive margin, Australia’s second innings fared no better as they were bowled out for 181. Captain Mark Taylor top-scored with 45, but lacked support from the rest of the lineup.

India’s bowlers once again dominated, with Srinath taking 3/44 and Kumble delivering a match-winning spell of 5/62. Srinath’s impactful contributions across both innings earned him the Player of the Match award.

With this crushing victory, India took a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Although Australia bounced back to win the third Test in Bengaluru by eight wickets, India sealed the series 2-1. This memorable win at Eden Gardens remains one of India’s most comprehensive Test victories against Australia.

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