India and Australia have had the meanest, fiercest cricketing rivalry in recent years. It was summed up well by noted cricket journalist Jarrod Kimber who said, “This contest brings together a belligerent bunch of brats and braggers from two countries that are so different yet share rampant egotism and a high opinion of themselves.”
As we head closer to Sunday, where India and Australia will take on each other in a virtual quarter-final of the ICC World T20 2016, we go down memory lane and look back at instances that have brought about a considerable amount of agelessness to this rivalry.
One can certainly say that an India – Australia rivalry will not fade away, quite like the Axe Signature line of body perfumes.
Here are 5 reasons which make this rivalry special:
# 1 A Very Very Special partnership
It was in March and at Indian cricket’s home where modern day’s greatest heist was pulled off much due to the efforts of two of India’s finest. India came into the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2001 having been drubbed in Mumbai at the hands of a world-conquering Australian side led by Steve Waugh.
After conceding a first innings lead of 274, India came out to bat at the Eden Gardens for a second time on Day 3. A promising opening stand was dismissed only for the Aussies to see VVS Laxman come out to bat in an unfamiliar position.
Laxman carried on from where he left off in the first-innings and hung around until he was joined by Rahul Dravid with the score reading 232/4 – a good 42 runs short of making up the deficit. What followed can only be heard in fairy tales.
The two stylish batsmen got together and stitched together a 376-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Laxman batted on for ten and a half hours, out of which Dravid gave him company for nearly seven and a half where the South Indian duo made a mockery of the Australian bowling attack.
By the time the duo perished, India were in a healthy position and Sourav Ganguly declared on the morning of the fifth day after the team had amassed a lead of 383 runs. India went on to win the match by 171 runs to end Australia's magical 16-match unbeaten run.
#2 Dada’s defiance at Brisbane
It was India’s first tour to Australia after a humiliating performance in 1999/00. A young Indian team that had established itself in away tours to England and West Indies was flying in to ruin Steve Waugh’s retirement party. At the helm of affairs was the much loved, Sourav Ganguly.
The draw at Brisbane often goes unnoticed when seen alongside India’s Adelaide victory and Tendulkar’s heroics at Sydney. With this result, the Indians proved that they weren't in Australia as tourists.
It was an overcast morning; Australia had been dismissed for a relatively low score of 323. Akash Chopra and Virender Sehwag had weathered the early storm and had put up 61 on the board. But, wickets in quick succession got Ganguly on the pitch with the scorecard reading 62/3.
Ganguly launched a counter-attack that left his opposition gasping for breath. With the field placement, it was clear that the plan was to get him out outside off, but he was God of offside for a reason.
The bowlers tried, but failed and at the end of it, they clapped; applause for a fine hundred from a visiting captain who had managed to clear the demons in his head and had marched his way to an authoritative 144 on a lively track.
Australia escaped with a draw due to the weather after setting the Indians a competitive target of 199 runs in the fourth innings. What India didn’t manage at Brisbane, they managed at Adelaide, where a historic win beckoned.
#3 Monkeygate and Perth
An all-time low in the India-Australia cricketing ties. What unfolded during the Sydney Test in 2008 defined how the two teams faced each other in years to come.
An Indian expletive allegedly directed at Andrew Symonds by Harbhajan Singh led to it being construed as a racial attack. Teammates from either sides swooped in, in a contest that had already been marred by questionable umpiring standards. The end result? A perfect recipe for a pot boiler.
Accusations were thrown from either side, big names like Sachin Tendulkar and Matthew Hayden got involved. Judicial processes were undertaken when Harbhajan was slapped with what many called an unjust punishment.
And then there was the bombshell – the Indian team suggested that it would like to discontinue with the tour. A lot of arbitration later, India headed to Perth to play the third Test. Thanks to some splendid performances from Rahul Dravid and Irfan Pathan, India won the match, that too on the fastest wicket in the world – thereby ending Australia’s record streak yet another time.
The Perth win was about the resilience and belief of a group of excellent cricketers who were being led by one of India’s best leaders in calamity, Anil Kumble.
#4 United during times of distress
The tragic on-field death of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes brought the entire cricketing community together, as one tightly knit unit. But it also led to a never seen before solidarity between the Indian and Australian cricket teams that went a long way in redefining how the rivalry played out.
When the news came in that the talented cricketer had passed away, the Indian team was already on Australian shores. Some of the first responders to the tragic news included Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri – extending their full cooperation amidst the outpouring grief and overwhelming support that engulfed Cricket Australia.
Not for once did any member of the Indian unit raise concerns about the delayed start to the tour, silently adjusting to the uncertainty of the tour happening in the first place. Indian players and support staff also made it to the Hughes’ funeral and were later acknowledged for the sensitivity and understanding that they had showed during Australian cricket’s saddest moments.
Cricket did resume, albeit a few days late, albeit at a different venue – but a refreshingly strong bond between the two countries had been established by then.
#5 An unexpected whitewash
After being thoroughly beaten during the one-day leg of the series in early 2016, India began their T20 adventure Down Under with a slightly new look squad – ageing superstars returned, while some fresh faces reenergized a unit that had lost 4-1 in the just completed ODI series.
After the showing in the one-day games, not many gave India a chance. But MS Dhoni’s Men in Blue sprung a surprise by becoming the first team ever to whitewash Australia at their home in any format of the game.
The three wins for India came with comprehensive margins of victory: At Adelaide, Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 90 led a strong Indian batting effort that overpowered Australia and won the match by 37 runs. In the next game at Melbourne, it was Virat Kohli, this time joined by Rohit Sharma, who helped India in securing a back to back win – beating Australia by 27 runs. The final T20I saw Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh make it three in three, chasing down a target of 198 with seven wickets to spare.
The Aussies looking to avenge the whitewash is a juicy subplot that most people will be looking forward to from Sunday’s contest.
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