Best Border-Gavaskar Tests: No.3

To whet the appetite of fans ahead of the first Test of the summer, cricket.com.au is counting down the best eight Australia v India Test matches since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was introduced in 1996.

The two nations have played out some absolute classics in those 22 years, and they'll add another chapter to the rivalry when Australia host India over the next couple of months.

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Best Border-Gavaskar Test

8) A masterclass from the Little Master

7) Lyon's eight can't stop India

6) An emotional tribute to a lost mate

5) Clarke heroics seal controversial victory

4) Waugh's words spur Dravid to heroic Test

3) Harbhajan the hero as India seal series

3. Third Test, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, 2001

Australia 391 (Hayden 203, M Waugh 70, Harbhajan 7-133) and 264 (M Waugh 57, Harbhajan 8-84) lost to India 501 (Tendulkar 126, Dravid 81, McGrath 3-75) and 8-155 (Laxman 66, Miller 3-41) by two wickets

As if Harbhajan Singh hadn't already tormented the Australians enough with 17 wickets through the first two matches, he saved his best for a fitting finale to this epic 2001 Test series.

A precociously talented 20-year-old at the time, Harbhajan had emerged as the Australians' arch-enemy in Mumbai and Kolkata, snaring the first-ever hat-trick by an Indian in Test cricket and running rampant with 13 wickets in their incredible comeback victory at Eden Gardens.

With the series all square after Australia's win in the first match and India's miraculous Laxman-Dravid inspired comeback in the second, it all came down to Chennai.

Australia, still smarting from the defeat that ended their world record run of 16 straight Test wins, responded through Matthew Hayden, who made a brilliant 203 to guide the tourists to 391 in their first innings.

Harbhajan added another seven wickets to his tally for the series, including Ricky Ponting first ball to continue his utter dominance over the great batsman, as Australia lost 7-51 to end the innings well short of what had earlier looked likely.

Image Id: 27FFEB021D6142F9BA7AFB7803EB9E64 Image Caption: Harbhajan celebrates Ponting's wicket in Chennai // Getty

India's top three all passed fifty in reply before Sachin Tendulkar again proved himself a man for the big occasion, stroking a brilliant 126 in a crucial 169-run stand with Rahul Dravid (81) as the hosts forged a 110-run first-innings lead.

Mark Waugh (57) made a second half-century of the match in Australia's second innings but they were again bewitched by Harbhajan, who claimed eight of the 10 wickets to fall, restricting the visitors to 264 and leaving his side 155 to win.

In all, the young off-spinner had taken 32 wickets in the three-Test series.

Such was the nature of the contests between these two sides, a twist in the tale seemed inevitable, and so it was on the final day.

At 2-110 and with VVS Laxman and Tendulkar settled, an Indian victory looked a fait accompli, but when Jason Gillespie ripped out Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, and Colin Miller removed Dravid, all in the space of three overs, Australia suddenly believed a miracle was possible.

Image Id: C72781EAA30F4D249F409D8054D23D61 Image Caption: India celebrates as they claim a thrilling series win // Getty

With 20 runs required, Laxman and debutant Sairaj Bahutule both fell, the former to a classic Mark Waugh catch, and a thrilling finish was assured.

Zaheer Khan was next to go, leaving India 8-151 and still four runs short of victory.

But it was that man Harbhajan who again proved the thorn in Australia's side, hitting the winning runs to ensure India claimed a memorable series 2-1.

Domain Test Series v India

Dec 6-10: First Test, Adelaide Oval

Dec 14-18: Second Test, Perth Stadium

Dec 26-30: Third Test, MCG

Jan 3-7: Fourth Test, SCG

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c, wk), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Mitch Marsh (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Chris Tremain

India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Parthiv Patel (wk), Ravi Ashwin, Ravi Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar