Rivalries make sport special. That’s the view of a lot of fans, and players, too. And cricket has seen a whole raft of rivalries over the years. Few have been as thrilling to watch as the Australian men’s cricket team vs India national cricket team.
Both of these sides are some of the best in the business. They’ve won the most tournaments. They’ve produced the best players. They’ve proven themselves, over and over. And, when they meet, sparks fly.
Even fans who don’t support either side or come from either country love to watch Tests between India and Australia. There’s just something about the dynamic, unpredictable nature of the play. The excitement is like the feelings experienced by gamblers and gamer fans, like Mines game players, as fans are eager to tune into the action and follow the thrill as wickets fall and boundaries are hit.
Let’s have a look back at the rivalry.
Origin and Evolution of the Australia–India Cricket Rivalry
We’ll start off our Australian men’s cricket team vs India national cricket team timeline at the beginning, and progress forward through history.
First Ever International Meeting Between the Teams
The first ever meeting between the Aussies and the Indians was a Test match. It ran from November 28 to December 4, 1947. And Australia took the win, by a considerable margin. They won by an innings and 226 runs. A landslide victory.
The legendary Don Bradman led the way. The Test was actually part of a five-day series, held on Aussie soil, with Australia winning four Tests, and the last one being a draw. Bradman top scored with 715 runs, while Ray Lindwall took 18 wickets.
Shift in Dynamics During the 2000s
Of course, as time went on, India got a lot better and way more competitive. By the new millennium, they were competing with Australia much more closely in all fields of the game:
- Tests: Many tests in the early 2000s were close between the sides, with wins for India in 2000-01 and 2008-09, and wins for Australia in 2004-05 and 2007-08.
- ODIs: Australia won the majority of ODIs against India in the 2000s, but the Indians claimed big wins here and there, like in 2004 in Brisbane or 2008 in Melbourne.
- T20: In 20-over games, many clashes have been close between the sides, with India winning at the ICC World Twenty20 in 2007/08 and some hard-fought draws.
Rivalry in the Modern Era
These days, Australia and India are arguably the two biggest countries in cricket. They go into all big events, like Cricket World Cups, as the favorites, and they have some of the most fervent fans and best players.
This also has helped to fuel their unique rivalry. Even though they’re not geographically close to each other and are quite different places in many ways, Australia and India have developed a friendly yet competitive vibe when they meet up, with fans eager to see their team on top.
Test Match Timeline and Legendary Series
Next, let’s focus on classic tests between the two sides.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy Highlights
The Border–Gavaskar Trophy is a regular Test championship exclusively between India and Australia, named after two of their best ever players, Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar.
India has dominated this tournament, winning 10 times of the 17 editions. Australia won six, and one, in 2003-04, was a draw.
There have been some whitewashes, like when Australia won 4-0 in 2011-12 and India followed with a 4-0 in 2012-13, as well as close series, like in 2020-21, when India claimed a narrow 2-1 win, and it’s always a great way to see how well the two sides are developing each year.
Key Test Match Scorecards
Classic Tests between the two sides include:
- Mohali Test 2010: India needed 216 to win. They dropped to 124/8, and it seemed all over. Then Ishant Sharma managed to battle through 92 balls, scoring 31. India needed 11 runs, and the final batsmen, Ojha, made it happen.
- Kolkata Test 2001: India had lost the first game in the series. And it was almost 2-0 to Australia. They bowled India out for 171 and forced them to follow-on. But India turned around dramatically, giving the Aussies a 384 target, which they failed to reach.
- Adelaide Test 2021: India had their lowest ever Test score here. They got just 36 runs in the second innings. Australia stormed to an easy win, but the humiliated Indians battled back to end up winning the whole series 2-1.
ODI Battles and Unforgettable Encounters
Next, a look at the many ODI internationals we’ve seen between the sides.
World Cup Clashes Between Australia and India
If you look back at the India national cricket team vs Australian men’s cricket team timeline, it’s amazing to see how many times the two sides have met at World Cups. They met in 1983, ’87, ’92, ’96, ’99, 2003, ’11, ’15, ’19, and ’23.
Two of their meetings stand out above the rest:
- 2003 Final: The 2003 final saw Australia put 359/2 over 50 overs, a dominant performance. India struggled to even come close, all bowled out for 234 in under 40 overs. Ricky Ponting top scored with 140.
- 2023 Final: At the 2023 Cricket World Cup Final, India made 240 batting first. Australia battled hard and beat that score in just 43 overs, winning by six wickets. Travis Head put up 120 for Australia.
These two final wins for Australia were huge for national pride and, in many ways, asserted the Aussies as the leading force in the India-Aus rivalry.
Bilateral ODI Series Over the Decades
If we look at the Australian men’s cricket team vs India national cricket team match scorecard for bilateral series, there’s more of a balance, with many wins for both sides and shifts in dominance over the years, with India having the edge now and then, and Australia bouncing back time and again.
The 2009 series was one of the best ever, with the Aussies winning 4-2, despite having quite a young and inexperienced team and going up against some of the best Indian players.
The 2007-08 series was also classic, with India managing to win in Australia, with a young MS Dhoni guiding the team to victory.
Record-Breaking Performances in ODIs
Both sides have produced some outstanding ODI talents over the years, like:
- Ricky Ponting (AUS): Top scorer in the classic 2003 Final, Ponting captained Australia to many victories over India and always seemed to know the right ways to deploy his fielders and bowlers to get success.
- Yuvraj Singh (IND): A terrific all-rounded, Yuvraj Singh has always seemed to excel when he came up against Australia, or by taking wickets and catches. A reliable performer in the Indian ranks.
- Steven Smith (AUS): In the 2015 World Cup semi-final in Sydney, Smith put on a show, scoring an excellent 105 to help put Australia in an almost unbeatable position on home ground.
T20 Showdowns and High-Voltage Matches
There haven’t actually been too many T20I games between India and Australia, but we have still seen some classics.
ICC T20 World Cup Meetings
Let’s first look at some India national cricket team vs Australian men’s cricket team match scorecard stats from the T20 World Cup, where these teams have met six times:
- 2007: In the semi-final, India took a 15-run win, with Yuvraj Singh again standing out.
- 2010: Australia dominated India, winning by 49 runs.
- 2012: In Sri Lanka, Australia won a narrow 9-run game.
- 2014: India took their biggest T20 World Cup win over Australia here, winning by 73 runs.
- 2016: Another Indian win for Virat Kohli and his men, winning by six wickets.
- 2024: The most recent encounter was another India win, by 24 runs this time.
Bilateral T20 Series Statistics
In bilateral series, of which there have only been a few, both sides have been able to claim wins. In 2007/08, India and Australia both won games against each other. In 2011/12, the sides drew 1-1. The same happened in 2017/18 and 2018/19. Aussies won 2-0 in 2018/19, but since then, India has won all T20 series against Australia.
This shows how India has adjusted its tactics in recent years to improve T20 performance, becoming one of the most consistent sides when it comes to not only putting up high scores with its excellent batsmen, but also being able to limit the opposition’s scoring through shrewd bowling and field placement.
Emerging Stars and Their Influence in T20s
We’ve seen some great young talents emerge on both sides in the T20 format of the game, like:
- Ruturaj Gaikwad: He top-scored in the Australia in India series of 2023/24, claiming a whopping 223 runs.
- Ravi Bishnoi: He managed to take nine wickets during the five ODIs between the sides in 2023/24, for an average of 18.22.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal: In 2023/24, he put up an impressive 138 runs, which is excellent considering his lack of experience.
- Cameron Green: He was the top scorer in the India vs. Australia 2022 series, with 118 runs total and an average of 39.33.
A lot of the emerging talents in this matchup also hone their skills in the increasingly popular Indian Premier League, which shows how important that has been for fueling growth of Indian cricket.
Player Rivalries and Individual Brilliance
As stated, both sides have produced some top notch players. And that’s led to some memorable one-on-one rivalries.
Sachin Tendulkar vs Shane Warne
Two of the best-ever players. Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar met 29 times.
Warne only managed to dismiss the Indian batsmen four times over those games, which shows just how good the Indian was. Even though Warne terrorized most other batsmen, even legends of the game, he always struggled with Sachin.
There were classic moments between them, like the 1998 Chennai Test, when Warne got the better of Tendulkar early on. But then Tendulkar came out swinging in the second innings and scored a whopping 155.
Virat Kohli vs. Pat Cummins and Modern Duels
A more modern rivalry, Kohli and Cummins have had a more balanced rivalry than Warne and Tendulkar did. They’ve met many times. In Tests, Kohli has scored 136 runs off 356 balls from Cummins, and Cummins has got him out five times, having a clear edge. In ODIs, Kohli is better, with 174 runs off 176 balls and only two outs.
One of the best ever moments of the pair was when Cummins bowled Kohli out with a slower ball than usual during the 2023 World Cup Final, as it was arguably the key point of the match and the moment Australia felt like they could win.
Legendary Performances by Captains
Ponting, Smith, Dhoni, Kohli, India and Australia have both been led by some phenomenal players across the ages. All have proven they can perform under pressure, and all have put up big numbers against their rivals over the years.
Like when Ponting almost won the 2003 World Cup Final against India single-handed. Or when Kohli scored 84 off 98 balls to lead India to a win at the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final. These iconic players have proven time and again they can handle the weight of leadership, and all have helped their sides to success in one of cricket’s closest rivalries.
Timeline of Key Encounters and Milestones
Lastly, let’s finish with a look back at some of the best ever matches and some important stats.
Chronological List of Landmark Matches
- 1947: The first Test, Australia won.
- 1980: First ODI, India won by 66 runs
- 1998: Champions Trophy Quarter-Final, India won by 44
- 2000: Champions Trophy Quarter-Final, India won by 20 runs
- 2003: World Cup Final, Australia won by 125 runs
- 2007: T20 World Cup semi-final, India won by 15 runs
- 2011: World Cup Quarter Final, India won by five wickets
- 2015: World Cup Semi-Final, Australia won by 95 runs
- 2023: World Cup Final, Australia won by six wickets
- 2025: Champions Trophy Semi-Final, India won by four wickets
Home vs. Away Statistics Comparison
In total, India and Australia have played:
- 112 tests, with 33 India wins and 48 Australia wins
- 152 ODIs, with 58 India wins and 84 Australia wins
- 32 T20 games, with 20 India wins and 11 Australia wins
If we look closer at those stats, many of each sides victories take place on home soil, but both sides have been able to beat each other on their own turf. Like the 2023 World Cup Final, which Australia won in Ahmedabad, India, or the 2020-21 Test Series, which India won 2-1 in Australia.
This shows that, more often than not, these sides play best on their own ground, with familiar conditions and lots of fans cheering them on, but it’s not a guarantee of victory.
Evolution of Fan Culture and Global Viewership
As the years have gone by and this rivalry has blossomed, we’ve seen fans embrace it more than ever. Now, you can count on millions of people tuning in to see India and Australia clash. It’s a big event on the cricket calendar, every time. And even fans of other nationalities, like English and South African fans, make sure to watch to see the best sides go head-to-head.
As the years go on, we can only expect more and more great games between the two, as they both keep on producing star-studded lineups and pushing the game forward tactically.
