India lost 1978 Adelaide Test but earned respect
India pushed Australia to the brink despite losing the Adelaide Test in January 1978, producing one of cricket’s most celebrated defeats. Led by Bishan Singh Bedi, India came within 16 runs of an improbable victory on the final day, after bowling Australia out cheaply and chasing 493 on a wearing pitch.
Australia, set up by centuries from Greg Chappell and Rick McCosker, looked in control before India’s bowlers struck back, dismissing the hosts for 223 in the second innings. In reply, India fought bravely, with Gundappa Viswanath’s fluent 97 anchoring the chase and lifting hopes of a miracle win.
“We believed we could pull it off till the very end,” Viswanath later recalled. Australian captain Chappell admitted the scare, saying, “India made us work harder than the scorecard suggests.” Former selector Rajinder Amarnath described it as “a loss that changed how the world viewed Indian cricket.”
Though India fell short, the match marked a shift in mindset, proving they could challenge Australia on their own turf and laying foundations for future overseas success.