India and Australia are set to clash for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title in the second cycle, with the final beginning on June 7 at the Oval in London.
Australia topped the WTC standings in the 2021–23 cycle with 66.67 points per cent (PCT) in 19 Tests, while India made their cut for the final with 58.8 PCT after beating the Aussies 2-1 in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at home.
India lost the WTC 2021 final against New Zealand, who became the inaugural champion by defeating Virat Kohli’s men by eight wickets at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
It will not be the first time these heavyweights of cricket are competing against each other in ICC tournaments. Before that, India and Australia encountered each other twelve times in 50-over World Cup, five times in the T20 World Cup and a couple of times in ICC Champions Trophy.
Of these 12 games, Australia have won 8, whereas India came out victorious four times. The highest total posted by Australia was 359/2 made in the final of 2003 ODI World Cup, while the biggest run-total for India has been 352/5 which came in the league stages of 2019 WC.
India got bowled out for their lowest total of 125 against Australia in the league stage of the 2003 ODI WC while Australia could manage only 129 runs at the marquee event held in 1983.
In the five T20 World Cups played between these two sides, India have had a slight upper hand on head-to-head basis as they won three out of five clashes. Both sides faced each other in the inaugural edition, where the eventual champions, India, came out on top. In the other couple of face-offs in 2010 and 2012, the Aussies beat the Men in Blue before losing twice again in 2014 and 2016.
Here are some interesting clashes in ICC tournaments when these two giants played against each other:
- 1983 ICC ODI World Cup (60 overs)
India and Australia’s rivalry in the World Cup started during the 1983 Cricket World Cup, where they played two games against each other. The first India vs Australia encounter was a group-stage match in Trent Bridge. After winning the toss, Australia posted a huge total of 320 on the board. In reply, the whole Indian team was back to the dressing room for just 158 .
After a few days, both teams met again to play their second league game. This time, India batted first after winning the toss and put in a highly competitive total of 247. The Indian bowlers, especially Roger Binny and Madan Lal, bowled extremely well to grab 4 wickets each and bundled out Australia for 129, winning the match by 118 runs.
2. 1987 ICC ODI World Cup
In the following World Cup, both teams came across each other again. The first match in Madras was as close as possible; the Kangaroos won it by solitary run. India elected to field first after winning the toss and were able to restrict the Aussies for 270. India started the chase well and were all set to win the match easily, but then they lost their last four wickets in a span of just 13 runs, and an easy-looking victory became a bitter loss for the home team.
3. 2003 ICC ODI World Cup
The 2003 World Cup was the landmark tournament in the India vs Australia rivalry. These sides met two times in the tournament. Till their first meeting in that World Cup, both teams were unbeaten. India suffered a heavy loss in the league stage match against Australia when they got bowled out for their lowest total in the 50-over World Cup history. The Aussies chased down the 126 run target easily with nine wickets remaining.
Their next meeting was in the final. India won the toss and elected to bowl first. But Australians, through their destructive batting, proved that decision wrong and hammered the mammoth total of 359/2, with their captain Ricky Ponting scoring an excellent century. In reply, India lost the key wicket of Sachin Tendulkar in the first over of the match. And from there on Indian batting lineup lost the plot completely. Virender Sehwag played blistering shots and kept the required run rate in control. But after his dismissal, the defeat became certain, and eventually, India were bundled for 234, losing the contest by 125 runs.
4. 2007 T20 World Cup
Eventual champions, India, met Australia for the time in the semifinal of the shortest format. Yuvraj Singh‘s impactful knock of 70 runs in just 30 balls helped India to post a competitive total of 188/5 in their 20 overs. In reply, Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds played breathtaking knocks to keep Australia in the hunt. But they couldn’t lead the Aussies towards victory. India eventually won the match by 15 runs.
5. 2011 ICC ODI World Cup
These two teams next faced each other in the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup. Australia won the toss and elected to bat first, and a century by Ricky Ponting helped the Aussies to reach a total of 260. But Yuvraj’s all-round performance helped India win the game with five wickets in hand. After the crucil win over Australia, India went on to clinch the World Cup title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final.
6. 2015 ICC ODI World Cup
In the 2015 edition of the World Cup, India vs Australia fixture was a semifinal, where the hosts Australia registered a comprehensive win to set up a trans-Tasmanian final. After winning the toss, they batted first and scored 328. In reply, India, who were looking for a place in second consecutive World Cup final, lacked stability and lost four wickets quickly after a good opening stand. MS Dhoni scored a fighting fifty, but it could only reduce the margin of defeat.
7. 2016 T20 World Cup
Australia elected to bat first and hit the ground running with a 54-run opening stand between Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja in just over four overs. However, the home side managed to put the brakes on and restricted the Aussies to 160 in their 20 overs. The then India skipper Kohli was at his best in Mohali that day. He finished unbeaten on 89 off 51 balls as India chased down the total with five balls to spare and six wickets in hand.
8. 2019 ICC ODI World Cup
The last time these two sides locked horns against each other was in the group stage match of the 2019 World Cup. On the back of Shikhar Dhawan‘s excellent knock of 117 runs, India put 352 on the board. In reply, Australia couldn’t cross the finishing line even after the strong opening stand of 61 between David Warner and Finch, losing the contest by 36 runs.
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