Forty-five years ago, in the first week of November 1979, India under Sunil Gavaskar were primed to win the country’s first-ever series against Australia since 1947-48. The venue of the historic series win was the same Wankhede Stadium, where India face New Zealand today, in an effort to duck the ignominy of enduring the country’s first-ever home whitewash across three Tests.

In the first innings of that 1979 Test, India amassed 458-8 declared. Gavaskar scored a hundred. So did Syed Kirmani as a nightwatchman while opener Chetan Chauhan got 73 and Karsan Ghavri smashed a 99-ball 86. That was enough for Kapil Dev & Co to dismiss Australia twice and win by an innings and 100 runs.