The India vs Australia cricket rivalry is the most popular and excruciating conflict in the history of world cricket. The matches between these two nations are always filled with drama, passion, and thrill whenever they confront each other, rendering it one of the most watched sports events globally. The people in both countries eagerly await such matches and regard them as a cricket festival.
The rivalry began in 1947, when India and Australia contested their inaugural Test series against one another. The rivalry expanded over the years, but in the past 20 years, it reached a new level. With both sides producing world-class performers and performances that no one would ever want to forget, this rivalry is now being considered the greatest of all time in the history of the game.
In the total count, Australia has traditionally always been superior. Of about 296 games played across formats, Australia has won 143, and India has won 111 times. A number of the matches have also been drawn, tied, or ended in no decision. Despite Australia’s slight superiority, India has always produced moments of magic that make the contest so beautiful. Every game is a fresh episode in a conflict which continues to intrigue cricket enthusiasts everywhere.
India vs Australia All Matches
If we consider the head-to-head figures in all formats, the statistics present a thrilling tale. India and Australia have played against each other 112 times in Test cricket. India has won 33 matches, and Australia has emerged victorious in 48 games. Approximately 30 games have been drawn, indicating the tough competition and equal strength of the teams.
Both sides have contested 152 matches in the One Day Internationals (ODIs). India won 58 of those and Australia has won 84. The remaining 10 matches were either a tie or were left without result because of external conditions.
In the shortest form, Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), India holds the head-to-head advantage. India won 20 out of 32 matches, whereas Australia has won 11. A single match ended without a result. Summing all the forms together, the cricketing titans have played each other 296 times, and Australia has won 143, India has won 111, and 41 matches ended without a result.
ICC Tournaments Won
India and Australia have both been part of a number of ICC events, such as the World Cup, Champions Trophy, and World Test Championship, all run by the International Cricket Council. Australia has been more successful generally in ICC competitions, with 10 titles in total compared to India’s 7 at the top level.
Australia’s dominance in cricket is seen in their phenomenal achievement of six ODI World Cups, the highest number secured by any country. They also have one T20 World Cup win, in 2021, two Champions Trophies, and one ICC World Test Championship.
India has also had its share of golden moments. The Men in Blue have won the ODI World Cup twice — initially in 1983 under the leadership of Kapil Dev, and then again in 2011 under the captaincy of M.S. Dhoni. India has also won the ICC T20 World Cup twice, in 2007 and most recently in 2024, demonstrating their consistency through the ages. India has three ICC Champions Trophy titles too, which speaks of their triumph in limited-over cricket.
In the ICC World Test Championship, Australia has taken the title once. India has also been a strong performer, making it to the final twice and finishing as runners-up on both occasions. This record proves that despite Australia holding the best overall trophy tally, India is among the most consistent and strongest teams in international cricket.
ICC ODI World Cups
India and Australia have confronted each other several times in the ICC ODI World Cups, creating memories that will be etched forever in cricketing history.
They first met in 1983 World Cup at Trent Bridge as Australia scored 162 runs victory over India. But in the same tournament, India struck back with great force at Chelmsford as they defeated Australia by 118 runs due to Roger Binny’s brilliance. In the 1987 World Cup, the two teams faced each other twice again — Australia defeated India by a run in Chennai, but India got their revenge by defeating them by 56 runs in Delhi with Mohammad Azharuddin being the star of the show.
In 1992 at Brisbane, Australia once again sneaked through with a one-run victory. Four years later, in 1996, they met at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where Australia claimed a 16-run win powered by Mark Waugh’s innings. The 1999 edition saw Glenn McGrath lead Australia to a dominant 77-run victory at The Oval.
The 2003 World Cup saw two meetings — in the group stage, Australia defeated them by nine wickets at Centurion Park, and in the final at Johannesburg, Ricky Ponting’s legendary innings led them to a whopping 125-run victory against India.
India’s big redemption came in the 2011 quarterfinal at Ahmedabad, where Yuvraj Singh starred in a memorable five-wicket win. However, in the 2015 semifinal at Sydney, Steven Smith’s century led Australia to a 95-run triumph.
India beat Australia by 36 runs in 2019 at The Oval due to Shikhar Dhawan’s heroics. In the 2023 World Cup, India won the group-stage match in Chennai by six wickets led by KL Rahul, but Australia had the last laugh in the final at Ahmedabad, wherein they beat India by six wickets with Travis Head’s match-winning century.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cups
India and Australia have clashed in ICC T20 World Cups a number of times, every match adding a new chapter to this legendary rivalry.
In 2007, at the very first T20 World Cup in South Africa, India defeated Australia by 15 runs in the semifinal at Durban, with Yuvraj Singh’s blistering batting around. At the 2010 edition, Australia turned the tables with a 49-run win in Barbados, fueled by David Warner.
Two years after that, in 2012, Australia beat India by nine wickets in Colombo as Shane Watson contributed an all-rounder performance. India struck back strongly in 2014, beating Australia by 73 runs in Dhaka with the help of Ravichandran Ashwin’s magical bowling spell.
In 2016, India and Australia faced off in Mohali, where Virat Kohli’s unbeaten innings helped India secure a six-wicket win in a virtual quarterfinal. Most recently, in the 2024 T20 World Cup, India defeated Australia by 24 runs in Saint Lucia, with Rohit Sharma leading from the front.
List of Test Matches
India and Australia have contested 112 Test matches across the years, and each series between the two sides has been closely fought. Of these, India has won 33, Australia 48, and 30 have been draws, with a historic tie.
The latest meetings in 2024–25 were Australian six-wicket victories in Sydney and by 184 runs in Melbourne, with the Brisbane Test drawn. Previously in the same series, victories had gone to Australia in Adelaide and India had won in Perth by 295 runs. The 2023 World Test Championship Final at The Oval had been decided by Australia by 209 runs.
In the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India dominated the Nagpur and Delhi Tests, while Australia won in Indore and Ahmedabad drew the last test. In 2021, India obtained a historic 3-wicket victory in Brisbane to seal the series 2–1, after their stunning turn of events in Melbourne and Sydney following being bowled out for 36 in Adelaide.
The 2018-19 series was a milestone as India recorded their first-ever Test series victory in Australia, claiming wins in Adelaide and Melbourne with the Sydney Test being drawn. Further back, standout victories include India’s comprehensive home series triumph in 2017, with dazzling performances at Bengaluru and Dharamsala.
Between 2013 and 2015, India defeated all four Tests in a home whitewash over Australia, with comprehensive victories in Chennai, Hyderabad, Mohali, and Delhi. Previously, in 2011–12, Australia whitewashed India 4–0 in home conditions, claiming victories in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Adelaide.
Historic battles run even deeper. India’s stunning wins in 2001 — such as the legendary comeback at Eden Gardens spearheaded by VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid — are still the stuff of legend. India turned a follow-on on its head to win by 171 runs and eventually take the series 2–1 there. India also thrashed the 2008 and 2010 home series with historic victories in Nagpur, Mohali, and Bengaluru.
The earlier decades had seen the emergence of this rivalry — from Australia’s dominance in the 1940s and 1950s to India’s rise as a competitive team in the 1970s and 1980s. Classic moments include the drawn Test at Chennai in 1986, India’s home series successes in 1979 at Kanpur and Bombay, and Australia’s golden period of the 1990s, when they won multiple series under Allan Border, Mark Taylor, and Steve Waugh.
Throughout the years, this rivalry has seen greats such as Don Bradman, Kapil Dev, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, and Virat Kohli etch their names. Each generation has had its heroes and disappointments, making the India-Australia Test rivalry one of the richest cricketing histories.
Conclusion
India vs Australia is not just a cricket game of scores, but a game of passion, pride, and history. Both teams have produced mythical cricketers, some of the greatest games played, and moments of brilliance that will be remembered by fans throughout time. While Australia has swept overall victories and ICC titles, India has persistently fought back through pure grit, producing some of the world’s greatest come-from-behind cricket victories in history.
Every encounter between these two giants is far from a mere game—it is a battle of wit, tactic, and national pride. As new legends rise and the two sides keep pushing each other to newer heights, the India–Australia rivalry is one of cricket’s greatest tales. It continues to enthuse people, stir emotions, and provide moments that will be etched in memory forever that symbolize the essence of the game.
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