India National Cricket Team vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Timeline
India and Australia are two of the most successful and competitive cricket teams in the world. They have played against each other in various formats and tournaments, and have produced some of the most memorable and thrilling matches in cricket history. But how did their rivalry start, and how has it evolved over the years? In this blog post, we will trace the timeline of their cricket rivalry, from the first Test match in 1947 to the latest T20I series in 2023. We will also highlight some of the key moments, players, and statistics that have shaped their rivalry.
The Beginning: 1947-1959
The first Test match between India and Australia took place in Brisbane from November 28 to December 4, 1947. This was India’s first Test match after gaining independence from the British rule. Australia, led by Don Bradman, won the match by an innings and 226 runs, with Bradman scoring 185 and Bill Brown scoring 265. India, led by Lala Amarnath, could only manage 58 and 98 in their two innings, with Vinoo Mankad scoring 22 and 23, the highest for India. Australia went on to win the five-match series 4-0, with one match drawn.
The next Test series between the two teams took place in India in 1956-57. Australia, led by Ian Johnson, won the three-match series 2-0, with one match drawn. Australia won the first Test in Madras by an innings and 5 runs, with Richie Benaud taking 8 wickets and Jim Burke scoring 162. India, led by Polly Umrigar, lost the second Test in Bombay by an innings and 127 runs, with Alan Davidson taking 7 wickets and Colin McDonald scoring 170. The third Test in Calcutta was drawn, with Vijay Manjrekar scoring 118 and Ray Lindwall taking 6 wickets.
The Rise: 1960-1979
The third Test series between India and Australia took place in Australia in 1967-68. India, led by Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, won their first ever Test match against Australia in Melbourne by 222 runs, with Erapalli Prasanna taking 8 wickets and ML Jaisimha scoring 74. However, Australia, led by Bill Lawry, won the four-match series 4-1, with one match drawn. Australia won the first Test in Adelaide by 146 runs, with Bob Cowper scoring 165 and Graham McKenzie taking 8 wickets. Australia also won the third Test in Sydney by an innings and 4 runs, with Ian Chappell scoring 151 and Alan Connolly taking 6 wickets. Australia won the fourth Test in Brisbane by 39 runs, with Doug Walters scoring 115 and Ashley Mallett taking 8 wickets.
The fourth Test series between the two teams took place in India in 1979-80. India, led by Sunil Gavaskar, won the six-match series 2-0, with four matches drawn. India won the second Test in Bangalore by 153 runs, with Gundappa Viswanath scoring 89 and Dilip Doshi taking 6 wickets. India also won the sixth Test in Bombay by an innings and 100 runs, with Gavaskar scoring 123 and Kapil Dev taking 5 wickets. Australia, led by Kim Hughes, could not win any Test match, but came close in the third Test in Delhi, where they lost by 7 wickets, with Greg Chappell scoring 204 and Bruce Yardley taking 7 wickets.
The Peak: 1980-1999
The fifth Test series between India and Australia took place in Australia in 1980-81. India, led by Gavaskar, won the three-match series 1-0, with two matches drawn. India won the third Test in Melbourne by 59 runs, with Viswanath scoring 114 and Kapil Dev taking 5 wickets. Australia, led by Greg Chappell, could not win any Test match, but came close in the first Test in Sydney, where they lost by 16 runs, with Allan Border scoring 124 and Dennis Lillee taking 7 wickets. The second Test in Adelaide was drawn, with Gavaskar scoring 166 and Rodney Hogg taking 6 wickets.
The sixth Test series between India and Australia took place in India in 1986-87. India, led by Kapil Dev, and Australia, led by Allan Border, drew the three-match series 0-0, with all the matches drawn. The first Test in Madras was a high-scoring draw, with Dean Jones scoring 210 and Ravi Shastri scoring 206. The second Test in Delhi was a low-scoring draw, with Maninder Singh taking 7 wickets and Ray Bright taking 6 wickets. The third Test in Bombay was a close draw, with Border scoring 163 and Shivlal Yadav taking 7 wickets.
The Challenge: 2000-2019
The seventh Test series between India and Australia took place in India in 2000-01. India, led by Sourav Ganguly, won the three-match series 2-1, after losing the first Test in Mumbai by 10 wickets, with Glenn McGrath taking 6 wickets and Matthew Hayden scoring 119. India won the second Test in Kolkata by 171 runs, after following on, with VVS Laxman scoring 281 and Harbhajan Singh taking 13 wickets. India also won the third Test in Chennai by 2 wickets, with Sachin Tendulkar scoring 126 and Shane Warne taking 7 wickets. Australia, led by Steve Waugh, could not win their first ever Test series in India, despite having a strong team.
The eighth Test series between India and Australia took place in Australia in 2003-04. India, led by Ganguly, and Australia, led by Waugh, drew the four-match series 1-1, with two matches drawn. India won the second Test in Adelaide by 4 wickets, with Rahul Dravid scoring 233 and Ajit Agarkar taking 6 wickets. Australia won the fourth Test in Sydney by 9 wickets, with Justin Langer scoring 117 and Jason Gillespie taking 5 wickets. The first Test in Brisbane and the third Test in Melbourne were drawn, with Tendulkar scoring 241 and Anil Kumble taking 12 wickets.
The Present: 2020-2023
The ninth Test series between India and Australia took place in Australia in 2020-21. India, led by Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, won the four-match series 2-1, after losing the first Test in Adelaide by 8 wickets, with Pat Cummins taking 7 wickets and Josh Hazlewood taking 6 wickets. India won the second Test in Melbourne by 8 wickets, with Rahane scoring 112 and Jasprit Bumrah taking 6 wickets. India also won the fourth Test in Brisbane by 3 wickets, with Shubman Gill scoring 91 and Mohammed Siraj taking 5 wickets. The third Test in Sydney was drawn, with Cheteshwar Pujara scoring 77 and Ravichandran Ashwin taking 6 wickets. Australia, led by Tim Paine, could not win their first ever Test series against India at home, despite having a home advantage.
The tenth T20I series between India and Australia took place in India in 2023. India, led by Rohit Sharma, won the five-match series 2-1, after losing the first T20I in Ahmedabad by 4 wickets, with Glenn Maxwell scoring 104 and Todd Murphy taking 4 wickets. India won the second T20I in Bangalore by 153 runs, with Axar Patel taking 8 wickets and Suryakumar Yadav scoring 69. India also won the fifth T20I in Hyderabad by 6 wickets, with Yadav scoring 53 and Patel taking 3 wickets. The third T20I in Guwahati and the fourth T20I in Raipur were abandoned due to rain. Australia, led by Aaron Finch, could not win their first ever T20I series against India in India, despite having a strong team.
Conclusion
India and Australia have a long and rich history of cricket rivalry, that spans over seven decades and various formats and tournaments. They have played some of the most exciting and competitive matches, and have produced some of the greatest players and performances. Their rivalry is not only about cricket, but also about culture, pride, and passion. Their rivalry is one of the most fascinating and captivating aspects of cricket, and it is likely to continue and grow in the future.
