Smith has scored 1,887 runs against India [Twitter]
A rather new-age rivalry in cricket, India takes on Australia in the upcoming iCC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023 at The Oval, commencing June 7. Both India and Australia, have a rich-cricketing history, however, the competition between these started only gaining momentum after the famous 2001 Border Gavaskar Test series, and since then has reached newer heights.
India's consecutive series win (2018-19 and 2020-21) over Australia in their own backyard have elevated the status, with several people calling it on par with The Ashes even. Australian batters have enjoyed churning out daddy hundreds against Indian bowlers, on both home and away conditions.
With the WTC Final being played at a neutral venue, let us see which Australian batter from the current squad holds the record of registering the highest individual score against India in Test.
Steve Smith
Steven Smith [Source: Twitter]
The Australian squad for the WTC Final comprises batters like Steven Smith, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, and Josh Inglis.
Out of which, interestingly, no batter has managed to score a double-hundred against India in Test cricket, with former skipper Smith having a top score of 192. Smith's 192 in 2014, during the Boxing Day Test, where Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his red-ball retirement.
The then-Australian skipper slammed skipper slammed 192 in the first innings, which was laced with 15 fours and two sixes, in a match that ended in a draw.
Since his debut against India in 2013, the 33-year-old has tormented India, amassing 1,887 runs in 18 Tests, which include five centuries, and two fifties.
Highest-Individual Scores against India
David Warner - 180
Warner's 180 came in just his third Test against India back in 2012. The opener won the Man of the Match award for his knock, as India were packed for 161 and 171 in both their innings.
Usman Khawaja - 180
Khawaja's 180 is the most recent, which came against India in the final BGT Test at Ahmedabad this year. The left-hander batter was Australia's most prolific scorer and will want to rekindle his form.
Marnus Labuschagne - 108
Labuschagne's only Test hundred against India came back in 2021, during the famous Gabba Test. Smith's understudy kept Australia's batting afloat while others played second fiddle.
Travis Head - 90
Despite having played 8 Tests against India, Head has not been able to hit the 100-run mark. Head's best of 90 came in the Ahmedabad Test earlier this year, which ended in a tame draw.
Cameron Green - 114
Green struck his maiden Test century against India, in the fourth and final Test in the BGT 2023 series. Green showed both self-restraint and aggression in his knock, that helped Australia score 480 in the first innings.
Alex Carey - 36
Carey's 36 came in his maiden outing against India this year. Batting on a dust bowl at Nagpur, the wicket-keeper batted displayed positive cricket, while others found them bamboozled.
India should be wary of Smith's impeccable record at The Oval in Tests, having scored 391 runs in three matches at an average of 97.75.
Overall for Australia, former skipper Michael Clarke holds the record for scoring the highest individual score against India in Test cricket. Clarke's 329 not-out came at Sydney in the BGT series 2011-12.
 "Vishal Mehra")
