Australia v India 2018/19: Best bowlers and bowling performances down under over past 70 years

Ahead of India's first Test against Australia, starting in Adelaide on Thursday, Chitrabhanu Kadalayil looks at the most successful men - cherry in hand

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Many a spell made the difference between victory and defeat when Australia and India locked horns in a Test series down under.

Take for instance Ajit Agarkar's career-best figures of 6-41. The India fast bowler, who took only 58 wickets in 26 Tests, proved key in his team's most famous victory on Australian soil when they beat the hosts by four wickets at Adelaide in 2003/04.

Both teams posted totals in excess of 500 in their respective first innings, with Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid scoring double hundreds. The match would still not have ended in a draw considering the Australians had scored at a fast clip and there was time.

But few would have expected an Agarkar spell would wreck the Aussie batting order, which it did, paving way for another Dravid masterclass as India chased down the victory target.

Who can also forget how India's famous spin trio of Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Erapalli Prasanna combined to win two games during India's most exciting tour down under - in 1977/78. Captain Bedi, in particular, enjoyed an exciting tussle with Australian counterpart Bob Simpson during that series.

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Australia v India 2018/19:

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Brett Lee captured the imagination of the cricketing world with his fine debut series - against India in 1999/2000 - with pace, bounce and aggression, thereby establishing a rivalry with Pakistan spearhead Shoaib Akhtar for many years to come.

In all this, people are likely to forget the brilliant, if curtailed, contribution fast bowler Wayne Clark made to Australian crikcet. Clarke played only a handful of Tests, but his performances in 1977/78helped Simpson clinch that series 3-2.

That being said, this photo gallery looks at the bowlers who have succeeded over repeated series between the two sides on Australian soil.

To see Chitrabhanu Kadalayil's list, check out the photo gallery above.

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