Published 14:38 IST, December 25th 2020
This is the unwanted record Team India must avoid at all costs in second Australia test
Team India should ensure that they do not lose the Boxing Day Test at the MCG so that they avoid creating this unwanted record in their Test history
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It's a must-win contest for Team India as they lock horns with the current top-ranked Test side Australia in the epic Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. While the Australians will be pumped after having drawn first blood in the four-match series, India just cannot afford to take their eyes off the ball as they are on the verge of creating an unwanted record should they lose this one.
A must-win encounter for India at the MCG
When the Ajinkya Rahane-led side turn up for the second Test at the MCG on December 26, all they need to ensure is that they do not end up on the losing side. They should at least settle for a stalemate if not win the contest because if they don't then it will be the first time in their 88 years of Test cricketing history that they will lose all matches in a calendar year (minimum three Tests).
In fact, the Men In Blue have not even registered a single win in the game's longest format and have so far lost all the three matches that they have played in whites. The Virat Kohli-led side had suffered a 2-0 whitewash in an away series against New Zealand earlier this year before losing the first Test against the Aussies at the Adelaide Oval last week. Therefore, the visitors will hope to leave no stone unturned in registering an all-important win and at the same time, and avoiding an unwanted record of losing all the matches in a calendar year in red-ball cricket.
Which other teams have created this unwanted record?
If Team India end up losing the Boxing Day Test, then will be the 19th instance where a team failed to win or draw a Test in a calendar year after playing a minimum of three Test matches.
Bangladesh (five times), Zimbabwe, Australia, and South Africa (thrice each), and, England, New Zealand, West Indies, and Sri Lanka (once each)have failed either winning or managing a draw in Test cricket in a calendar year.
14:38 IST, December 25th 2020