There are certain rivalries in cricket that have been around for many years. These are intensely competitive and extremely fierce in nature. Rivalries like the Ashes or India-Pakistan are well known, however, there is one rivalry that is relatively new, but is just about as intense and fierce as the older rivalries in cricket. The rivalry between India and Australia began when Sunil Gavaskar’s men triumphed over the mighty Australian team in 1979 and seven years later the match tied in Chennai. Until then, India vs Australia matches often felt like a fight between underdogs and champions.
The emergence of Sachin Tendulkar in the 90s added another dimension to the rivalry as the Master Blaster engaged in a memorable rivalry with Shane Warne. Back then, it was highly impossible for India to win against Australia in ODI’s and Test matches. But led by Tendulkar, India recorded back-to-back series wins at home in 1996-97 and in 1997-98. India went toe-to-toe against Australia under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly. The 2000-01 series at home saw VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid combine in Kolkata to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and Harbhajan Singh’s hat-trick in Test cricket intensified the healthy rivalry between India and Australia. Indian team kept getting stronger under the captaincy of MS Dhoni and India began defeating Australia in ODI’s and Test matches. After trading home series wins through the 2000s and 2010s, India finally won in the Australian grounds and Virat Kohli’s men romped to a 2-1 win in early 2019, 71 years after India first toured Down Under. The once lopsided rivalry is finally a Battle of Equals.
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