India vs. Australia – 5 greatest ODI’s ever

Cricket fans talk about India-Pakistan cricket and to an even bigger level about England-Australia, but in the midst of all of this, what about the amount of exciting ODI cricket that has been played over the past twenty years or so between India and Australia?

The two nations where cricket is followed as the ‘most watched sport’ have played 80 One day international matches in history, and the record favors the Aussies but the Indians haven’t done too badly.

In the 80 matches played, India has won 27 times and Australia has managed to do the same on 49 occasions. So, let us take a trip back in time and recall the five greatest matches played between the two great nations.

ICC Knockout trophy 2000-01
1st Quarterfinal match
Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi
7 October 2000

The first entry in this elite list of great matches is of very recent memory. The build up to this tournament marked the most controversial incident in the history of cricket, with the lifetime ban given to Mohammed Azharuddin and Hansie Cronje, who were also the skippers of their respective nations at the point of time. There was so much anticipation and so many teams had come under so much pressure during the ICC Knockout trophy (now called the Champions Trophy), which was being called the ‘mini world cup’.

India was under tremendous amount of pressure going into this match against the World Champions and also it was Sourav Ganguly’s first big outing as the captain of India, and it is one outing that he will definitely savor for the rest of his cricketing career.

This match marked the arrival of a cricketer who took everyone by storm with his very presence. Yuvraj Singh arrived on the scene in Nairobi and the outing against Australia was his first and he did enough to announce to the world that he was going to be around for a while. India had won the toss and elected to bat.

Tendulkar and Ganguly got India off to a flying start but there was a little stumbling block a little later, until the ‘prince’, as he was called then, Yuvraj Singh arrived and shocked the Australian quicks with his powerful coverdrives, cut shots and at the same time all the elegance and class he got along. The 18 year old back then, scored a brilliant 84 of just 80 balls and it was against the terror trio bowling attack comprising of McGrath, Gillespie and Lee.

India managed to put up a more than decent total of 265 at the end of their fifty overs. Australia came on to bat and lost a few early wickets, but then recovered really strong thanks to a great partnership between Ponting and Bevan. But as the match progressed, some tremendous fielding and economical bowling by the Indians, pulled things back for India and it was enough to restrict the Aussies to 245.

India won the match by 20 runs and advanced to the semifinals of the ICC Knockout trophy. The youngster who took the world by storm, Yuvraj Singh was declared the man of the match, for his brilliant 84, and also a wicket, and for causing a brilliant run out.

Benson & Hedges World Series, 1991/92
2nd Final (Best of 3 series)
Sydney Cricket Ground
20 January 1992

India had toured Australia for a four Test series and also the B&H triangular ODI tournament, which also featured the West Indies. The 1992 cricket World Cup was just a few months away, and this tournament was extremely crucial for all the three sides that were competing.

A capacity crowd at the Sydney cricket ground, and was a do or die situation for India. Australia had already won the first final of the series. The Aussies won the toss and asked India to bowl and in those days, most captains preferred to ask the opposition to bat last under the floodlights. Geoff Marsh top scored with 78 for Australia and set up a good platform for Australia to post a 250 + total. But after the fall of some wickets, the Australians suffered a minor collapse with skipper Allan Border trying to hold the innings together scoring 38 but eventually losing his wicket.

Australia managed to post a very mediocre total of 208/9 in their allotted fifty overs. For the Indians, Venkatapathy Raju and Manoj Prabhakar claimed six wickets, never letting the Australians settle into a rhythm.

India came out to chase with everything to play for. If they could’ve achieved their target, then they would push the tournament to another day’s play, with either team possessing a good chance to win the trophy.

India lost Srikkanth and Majrekar pretty early, and the teenage master blaster from Bombay city, Sachin Tendulkar walked out to a tremendous response. He joined Ravi Shastri, who had been in tremendous form throughout the B&H trophy.

Sachin and Shastri put on a brilliant stand of 80 odd runs, and had done more than half the job for India. Soon after Shastri’s wicket fell, Azhar and Kapil fell in quick succession, and all the pressure was on Tendulkar. The little man was left way too much to do in the end, he perished just 16 runs short of the target. India was shut for 202 in the 50 overs of play, heartbreakingly short of just 6 runs.

It was a memorable match and marked the arrival of Tendulkar in high pressure matches. After this, the young man never looked back.

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Benson & Hedges World Cup, 1991/92
Preliminary group match
Brisbane Cricket Ground
1 March 1992

The first ever World Cup played in Australia and the atmosphere was electric from the start. Colour uniforms were introduced in this mega tournament and the road to the semifinals was a very hard one for all the teams.

Allan Border won the toss and elected to bat. Kapil and Prabhakar got India off to a tremendous start taking some early wickets. Both the all-rounders took three wickets each, and put India in control of the match. As the match progressed, Dean Jones and David Boon destroyed Indian hopes of containing Australia to a low total.

The duo put Australia in a very good position, and with allrounders like Tom Moody and Steve Waugh to follow, a late order flourish was on the cards. Australia managed to post a very competitive total of 237/9 in their fifty overs. Dean Jones top scored with 90 and Manoj Prabhakar had the best bowling figures for India (3/41).

The Indian chase started and it started in a disastrous manner, as Srikkanth was dismissed with just six runs on the board. Out came the Indian captain, Mohammed Azharuddin who played one of the best knocks of the 1992 cricket world cup. Azhar and Manjrekar put on a very healthy stand for the sixth wicket, with runs coming at a very brisk pace as well. Azhar scored 93 of just 103 balls, which was an

unbelievable strike rate in those days. Manjrekar scored 47 of just 42 balls, and India was coasting along to victory, before the rain gods made an astonishing statement.

Just before the rain interruption, India had lost the crucial wickets of Azhar and Manjrekar, but they still had some late order batting that could get the job done for them. A revised target of 236 was set, which was to be attained in a maximum of 47 overs. India managed to score 234 in the 47 overs, before wickets kept tumbling and eventually India lost the match by just ONE run.

It was a heartbreaking loss, as India had done all the hard work to win the match, and due to the rain and the revised target, the Indians were left to do with too much in the end. This loss also hampered India’s chances of qualifying to the next stage of the World Cup.

Titan Cup, 1996/97
Punjab C.A. Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh
3 November 1996

If there are two words to describe this unbelievable match, it would be ‘cracker jacker’. It was during this era of one day international cricket, when sides started to believe that they could chase down big totals and that too under lights.

South Africa was the third team competing in this tournament and they had already ensured a place in the grand finals. They were clearly the best side of the tournament, especially after defeating both India and Australia on more than a few occasions. This match in front of the capacity crowd at the beautiful stadium in Mohali was to decide the other finalist of this high profile ODI tournament.

India was on a high after defeating Australia in the Test series that was held before the Titan Cup. On the other hand, the Aussies had everything to play for, as they wanted to finish their tour of the subcontinent on a high note.

In a very surprising move, Mark Taylor, the Australian captain won the toss and decided to insert the very strong and commendable Indian batting in. Sachin Tendulkar got India off to a flying start but he didn’t receive too much support initially. Tendulkar blazed to 62 in just 60 balls and after he was dismissed the Indian middle order managed to continue to momentum generated by the master blaster.

A young Rahul Dravid was joined by Azharuddin and the duo put on a very good stand to shift the balance of the match. The pair piled on a partnership of over a hundred runs and it was enough to guide India to a mammoth total of 289/6 in the 50 overs. Azhar top scored with 94, a knock which involved just four boundaries and two sixes.

The Aussies were under a tremendous amount of pressure at the start of their attempt to chase down India’s total and qualify for the finals of the tournament.

Mark Waugh and Mark Taylor got Australia off to a brilliant start. The duo put on an opening stand of 84, with Taylor, the skipper at the time, leading from the front and notching up a score of 78. A minor middle order collapse was dealt with very well by the strong middle order of the Australians, comprising of Steve Waugh, Bevan and Michael Slater. Australia was placed at 241/4 at one stage cruising to victory with the required run rate just under a run a ball.

Then the biggest thorn in the Aussie flesh, Anil Kumble made a spectacular comeback and after destroying the Australians in the Test series, he returned to haunt them again by picking up three quick wickets. Kumble’s spell ensured that Australia was the team that had to do all the hard work to get to the target and India had to play the waiting game.

Some very silly run outs got Australia deeper into trouble and they kept losing wickets at a consistent pace. In the last over this enthralling match, Australia needed just six runs with just one wicket left in the kitty. Brad Hogg and Glenn McGrath were the last two Aussies and the last over was about to commence. Sachin was the captain at the time and the champion cricketer decided to bring himself on to counter the Aussie tailenders.

In the meanwhile, Taylor, Waugh and co. were eating their nails for dinner. In the very first ball of the last over, Brad Hogg called his partner for a single, and the pressure got to the Aussies and a major misunderstanding lead to a run out and it was the end of the match. India won by 5 runs and Australia had 5 balls to spare.

The match gave the Indians so much confidence that they managed to defeat the mighty South Africans in the final and clinch the Titan Cup.

Reliance World Cup, 1987/88
Group A preliminary fixture
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Madras
9 October 1987

It was clash between the defending World Champions and the reinvented Australian side, under the courageous leadership of Allan Border. Border had to rebuild a side that had lost some very key players like Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillie, Jeff Thompson and co. to retirement. The capacity crowd at Madras was fortunate enough to see a young man from Punjab, by the name of Navjot Singh Sidhu make his debut in one day international cricket.

Kapil Dev was the Indian captain and the whole nation was backing the great man to deliver the goods and retain the World Championship of one day cricket. India won the toss and elected to insert the Aussies into bat on a featherbed of a pitch that promised loads of runs.

The Australians got off to a flawless start with Marsh and Boon putting up an opening partnership of 110 runs. Soon after Boon was dismissed, a young man oozing with confidence, Dean Jones came out to bat and took the Indian bowlers apart. He scored a quick fire 39 of just 35 balls that included two huge sixes.

Geoff Marsh was the pivot around which the Australian batting revolved and he stayed put at the wicket till the very end of the Aussie innings. Manoj Prabhakar was the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 2/47 in his ten over spell.

Australia posted a brilliant total of 270 in their fifty overs; a total which in those days was virtually impossible to chase down. Geoff Marsh scored a brilliant century and led the way for them.

With the unbelievable density of home support and some very in form batsmen, India was totally up for the challenge and never throughout their chase felt that they couldn’t surpass the Australians. They came out to bat in spectacular fashion with Srikkanth and Gavaskar ensuring a brisk start. Gavaskar perished but Srikkanth continued to blossom and kept the required run rate under check. Enter: Navjot Sidhu! In his debut game for India, the exciting batsman played a scintillating knock of 73, which comprised of 5 sixes! Sidhu and Srikkanth batted so fast that there were points in the match when the Aussies felt that they should’ve scored 300 to beat the Indians.

But as the saying in the game goes, it is never over till it is over. India was comfortably placed at 207/2 at one stage and needed 63 runs to win in a little less than a run a ball. Just when it looked like India were going on to comfortable coast to victory and take a lot of momentum into the further stages of the World Cup, Australia proved why they have always had the reputation of a team that never gives up.

In an unbelievable fight back, Australian fast bowler, Craig McDermott picked up four wickets and scripted India’s downfall. In the midst of all this, India suffered two run outs and some very soft dismissals. India lost the match by exactly one run in one of the greatest one day international matches in the history of the game. Regardless of the winner, it was definitely a match that the sporting crowd of Chepauk will savour forever