The Australian cricket team toured India in the 1984-85 season to play a five-match one day international series against India. The series was to help celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Ranji Trophy.
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Australia won the series 3-0 with two matches abandoned for rain. It was Australia's first ever victory in a one-day series on the subcontinent, and especially notable considering India had just won the 1983 Cricket World Cup. Sunil Gavaskar was reinstated as captain of India following a series of defeats under Kapil Dev.
Australian squad
Australia had just lost a test series against the West Indies 3-0. The tour was relatively last minute with the Indian Cricket Board not requesting a team until June 1984.
The original squad was selected by a brand-new selection panel, Lawrie Sawle, Greg Chappell and Rick McCosker. It was as follows:
Australia's selectors would be Hughes, Border and Rodney Hogg.
Surprise omissions from the tour were David Hookes and Greg Matthews. They were also excluded from a 16-person list of cricketers to be offered playing contracts by the ACB.
Matches
- 1st ODI Australia vs India at New Delhi - Sept 28, 1984 - Australia won by 48 runs. Kepler Wessels scored 107 in Australia's innings.
- 2nd ODI Australia vs India at Thiruvananthapuram - 1 October 1984 - No result
- 3rd ODI Australia vs India at Jamshedpur - 3 October 1984 - No result. (This game could not start as scheduled because officials had mislaid players' gear.)
- 4th ODI Australia vs India at Ahmedabad - 5 October 1984 - Australia won by 7 wickets (with 13 balls remaining)
- 5th ODI Australia vs India at Indore - 6 October 1984 - Australia won by 6 wickets
- Tour game Australia vs Bombay at Bombay - 8 October 1984 - Australia won by 6 wickets
Kepler Wessels was the highest run scorer and was named man of the series. Ravi Shastri was the second-highest run scorer. Carl Rackemann was the highest wicket taker. Wayne Phillips impressed with his performance behind the stumps.
The Australians won prizemoney of 25,000 rupees, most of which they donated to a home for crippled children in Ahmedabad.
Mike Coward, who covered the tour, wrote that the series victory "was a triumph for [Kim] Hughes who meticulously planned each of the matches and ensured that this young team played the limited-over game at a more sophisticated level."
The tour finished with a gala dinner involving over 400 guests at which Hughes was presented with a replica of the Ranji Trophy. Rodney Hogg returned early due to bronchitis.
South African Rebel Tours
On the way back from the tour, several Australian players met up with representatives of the South African Cricket Board in Singapore. This led to the South African rebel tours.