Former Indian pacer and present chairman of the BCCI’s men’s national selection committee, Ajit Agarkar became 47 years old on December 4, 2024. On his 47th birthday, we are going back to the memory when the right-arm pacer destroyed the Australian batting line-up and set a memorable Test win at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide.

It was the second Test of the four-match Test series between the hosts Australia and the visitors India in the 2003-04 season. After the Australian captain Steve Waugh chose to bat first, Australia scored 556 runs, thanks to Ricky Ponting’s double century (242). 

Dravid and Laxman rescued India

In reply, India were once struggling at 85/4 before Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman produced another unforgettable 303-run partnership for the fifth wicket. While Dravid scored 233 runs, Laxman scored 148 runs. India ultimately scored 523 runs before they were all out. 

Ajit Agarkar took six wickets

Australia started their second innings with a lead of 33 runs. While the fans were expecting a draw result in that Test match, Ajit Agarkar’s bowling performance stunned the cricket world. Before the lunch of the fourth day of that Adelaide Test, Agarkar dismissed the opener Justin Langer (10) and Ricky Ponting (0). While Ponting scored a double-century in the first innings, Langer scored a half-century in that innings. 

Later, Ashish Nehra and Anil Kumble took one wicket each, while Sachin Tendulkar picked up two wickets in his seven balls. Then, Agarkar destroyed the late batting orders, as the right-arm pacer picked up four wickets in his four overs. He dismissed Andy Bichel (1), Simon Katich (31), Jason Gillespie (3), and Stuart McGill (1).

India won the Adelaide Test by four wickets

After picking up two wickets in the first innings of the Test match, Agarkar finished the third innings with the bowling figures of 16.2-2-41-6. His destructive bowling resulted in Australia being bundled out for 196 runs. Although the 230-run target wasn’t easy for the visitors India in the fourth innings, Rahul Dravid once again batted strongly and got support from the other end to claim a historic four-wicket win. Dravid ended the game with the winning boundary and remained not out for 72 runs. 

While Dravid deservingly won the Player of the Match award, Agarkar’s contribution was equally important to that historic victory. It was Agarkar’s only Test five-wicket haul as he claimed 58 wickets in 26 Tests.