India and Australia have all to play for in the fourth and final Test match of the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy, which is scheduled to be played at the Gabba in Brisbane. After winning a game apiece in the first two matches, the two teams played out a hard-fought draw at the Sydney Cricket Ground, courtesy of a resilient batting display from the Indian batsmen.

While the Indian cricket team will look to gather plenty of positives heading into the game, the fact remains that the team is further marred by a barrage of injuries. After having missed the likes of Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Virat Kohli, the Ajinkya Rahane-led team is set to the enter the field in Brisbane without Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari and potentially Ravichandran Ashwin.

India and Australia have played a total of six Test matches in Brisbane, and the hosts have won a whopping five of them, with the other one ending in a draw.

India vs Australia, 4th Test: Numbers to keep an eye on

India vs Australia in Brisbane

Winner

Margin

Start Date

AUS

inns & 266 runs

28 November 1947

AUS

39 runs

19 January 1968

AUS

16 runs

02 December 1977

AUS

10 wickets

29 November 1991

draw

-

04 December 2003

AUS

4 wickets

17 December 2014

The biggest win for Australia against India in Brisbane came in November 1947, where they emerged victorious by an innings and 266 runs.

India’s record against Australia in Brisbane: L, L, L, L, D, L

Last five first-innings scores in Brisbane

India has batted first only twice at Brisbane, and their scores have been as follows:

  • 408 in 2014
  • 239 in 1991

Their overall record in the first innings, however, reads:

India's last five scores in first innings in Brisbane

Score

Inns

Start Date

58

2

28 November 1947

279

2

19 January 1968

153

2

02 December 1977

239

1

29 November 1991

409

2

04 December 2003

408

1

17 December 2014

Australia’s record has been as follows:

Australia's last five scores in first innings in Brisbane

Score

Inns

Opposition

Start Date

556/4d

1

v New Zealand

05 November 2015

429

1

v Pakistan

15 December 2016

328

2

v England

23 November 2017

323

2

v Sri Lanka

24 January 2019

580

2

v Pakistan

21 November 2019

India vs Australia Brisbane Test likely top-scorers

While the Indian cricket team players haven’t played much in Brisbane, Australia’s David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne have been quite impressive at the venue. The opener, in his eight matches, has accumulated 817 runs at an average of 68.08, while notching four tons and one half-century. 

Labuschagne, on the other hand, has played a mere two matches, but has scored 266 runs at an average of 133. His knocks include one century and one half-century, meaning that one can rightly punt on Australia’s #3 to be amongst runs.

Warner and Labuschagne's record in Brisbane
Player Matches Innings Runs HS Average 100s 50
David Warner 8 14 817 163 68.08 4 1
Marnus Labuschagne 2 2 266 185 133 1 1

Feature image courtesy: AFP / David Gray