Image: Virat Kohli leads the record for most Test wins as Indian captain in Australia / © India Today
In the history of Indian cricket, very few captains have enjoyed success in Test matches on Australian soil. Generations of Indian teams have travelled Down Under, but wins have been hard to come by. The numbers show just how difficult the challenge has been. Ajinkya Rahane, Bishan Singh Bedi, and Virat Kohli are the only Indian captains to record two Test wins each in Australia, putting them ahead of every other skipper.
Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy during the 2020 and 2021 Border-Gavaskar Trophy is still remembered for the way India bounced back. After the opening Test, he took charge and led a young side to victories in Melbourne and Brisbane. The Gabba win, in particular, became one of India’s biggest overseas moments. Rahane finished with 2 wins in only 3 Tests as captain in Australia, a record no other Indian skipper has bettered.
Bishan Singh Bedi was the first Indian captain to win two Tests in Australia. His team came out on top in Sydney and Melbourne, giving him 2 victories from 5 matches. At a time when overseas wins were rare, those results carried plenty of value and his record stood untouched for many years.
Virat Kohli equalled Bedi’s tally during the 2018 and 2019 tour. India won the Adelaide and Melbourne Tests under his leadership before sealing a historic series victory. Kohli ended with 2 wins in 7 Tests as captain in Australia.
Apart from these three, only Jasprit Bumrah, Sunil Gavaskar, Sourav Ganguly, and Anil Kumble have won one Test each as India’s captain in Australia. Several great names, including MS Dhoni, Kapil Dev, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Lala Amarnath, Chandu Borde, and Virender Sehwag, never managed a Test win there. With Rahane calling time on his career, his achievements in Melbourne and Brisbane remain a lasting part of India’s Test history.