5 Indian players who share a good relationship with their fellow Australian cricketers 

India versus Australia has been one of the most competitive rivalries in the past 25 years. Both countries have given birth to some of the biggest superstars in world cricket over the years.

The 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy was one for the ages. It showed us the quality of depth in Indian cricket, and gave birth to new stars like Rishabh Pant.

Things tend to get ugly at times on the field, simply because of the high stakes involved in these intense contests. However, off the field, most of these players are very good friends.

We take a look at five Indian cricketers who are friends with Australian players.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne

Arguably two of the greatest players in the history of the game, Sachin Tendulkar and the late Shane Warne's on-field rivalry was a treat to watch. Both had great mutual respect and admiration for each other.

Warne used to have dinners at Sachin's place, and was really fascinated by his interests, particularly in music. Tendulkar said that it was always a challenge to face Warne.

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#2 Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell

Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell have been friends since 2016, when they did an interview together on Cricket Australia's YouTube channel. However, they have had a bit of banter on the field during the 2017 Border Gavaskar Trophy.

Off the field, they have been extremely supportive of each other. While Maxwell took a break from cricket, citing mental health concerns, Virat was among the first few to openly support his Australian counterpart.

Their bond grew stronger when Maxwell was signed by RCB in IPL 2021. He has been one of the best performers for the Bangalore franchise and has praised the team's environment on multiple occasions.

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#3 Rishabh Pant and Pat Cummins

Rishabh Pant is one of the best cricketers in India at the moment. He has always brought his A game against the Australian team, particularly in red-ball cricket. Pat Cummins, on the other hand, is currently the best Test bowler in the world. He is also the captain of the Australian Test team.

The duo have great mutual respect for each other. Cummins rates Pant as the most enjoyable player in the world. He really appreciates how brave the Indian wicket-keeper is in his approach with the bat.

Pant also shares a healthy relationship with the pacer. He funnily sledged him on Day 5 of the Adelaide Test in 2018, asking him to put the bad balls away.

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#4 Anil Kumble and Adam Gilchrist

Two of the most humble cricketers of all time, Anil Kumble and Adam Gilchrist, were fierce competitors on the field and great friends off it. Both have similar personalities; highly respected, caring, and genuine. They were team players who always gave the game their full commitment.

'Gilly' congratulated the Indian spinner with a surprise call when he reached 500 wickets in Test cricket. Kumble really appreciated how caring the Australian wicket-keeper was in this case.

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#5 Rahul Dravid and Steve Waugh

Similar to the Kumble-Gilchrist friendship, Rahul Dravid and Steve Waugh also had very similar personalities. They were gritty, mentally tough, and played the game with integrity. They handled the pressure of expectations extremely well over the years.

The current Indian coach looked up to Steve Waugh; he wanted to shape his career in the same way. Dravid talked about how Steve valued his wicket and how he aspires to do the same. It's safe to say that Dravid certainly did that in some style.

In his autobiography, "Out Of My Comfort Zone", Waugh mentioned that he felt a connection with the Indian batting maestro in Bangalore during an ODI tournament in 1998. According to the former Australian skipper, Dravid always wanted to elevate his game.