Ind vs Aus 2019, 1st ODI: Top 4 Indian memories from Hyderabad

The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad will host the first ODI between India and Australia on March 2. Both these teams will be playing each other for the third time at this venue in an ODI, while this will be India’s sixth appearance in the format at Uppal.

It comes as quite a surprise that the stadium’s ODI debut came way back in 2005 between India and South Africa when Rahul Dravid was the captain of the side.

Before this ground, India played its international matches at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in the city, which saw the birth of wristy stroke makers such as ML Jaisimha, Mohammad Azharuddin and VVS Laxman.

However, Uppal is a modernised stadium which became much sought for by the BCCI for Indian Premier League matches as well, increasing interest in cricket in the city.

Over the last 14 years, India have remembered this ground for some of their finest moments in the ODI format of the game, which involve the stalwarts of the game. Before Yuvraj Singh won his first IPL title for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, he mastered this ground a decade before twice.

Then it was Sachin Tendulkar's turn to score a vintage ODI century in India to celebrate the completion of playing two decades of international cricket.

However, India managed to complete the much-awaited transition from individual to team success in Hyderabad. MS Dhoni in 2011 and Virat Kohli in 2014 both led from the front to ensure that.

As they say, the journey matters more than the destination. Fans remember the former more than the latter as well. Here are four of the biggest reasons why Hyderabad will remain etched in the memory of the most ardent of Indian cricket fans and players alike.

2005 and 2007: Yuvraj’s standalone centuries

Yuvraj's maturity as an ODI batsman showed in his 103 vs South Africa in 2005

India were reeling at 35/5 against a South African attack containing Shaun Pollock & Makhaya Ntini in their 2005 contest.

Coming in at No.5 in the 5th over, Yuvraj Singh touched his peak as India’s prime ODI match-winner in Dravid’s reign with his 122-ball 103 that took India to a total of 249. A strike rate of 85 with tail-end batsmen for support, made this innings astonishing. Yuvraj’s effort stood out, though India went down fighting by 5 wickets.

Yuvraj took the attack to world champions Australia with his fighting 121 in late 2007

2 years later, it was déjà vu as India crumbled to 13/3 under 5 overs, chasing 291 against Australia. Yuvraj reminded the Aussies of his record against them, counterattacking with a 115-ball 121 that contained 12 fours & 3 sixes.

However, the innings came in a losing cause again due to lack of contributions from the lower order as Australia won by 48 runs.

2009: Tendulkar turns back the clock

Tendulkar's vintage-style 175 almost made India pull off a famous run-chase vs Australia in 2009

Australia returned for an ODI series in 2009 in India, with the score being 2-2 going into the ODI in Hyderabad. The world champions, courtesy Shaun Marsh’s 112, put up a mighty total of 350. Co-incidentally, Marsh is the only surviving member from that team and is set to play the first ODI.

For India, it was the Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar who was once again the whole and soul of the Indian innings as the Aussies were made to run ragged during his 141-ball 175.

Risk-free yet effective, the 36-year-old’s innings kept India in the hunt till he was dismissed in the 48th over. India surrendered eventually to a painful 3-run defeat, reviving memories of the 1990s. It was considered one of the best ODI innings of the year.

2011: India snap their 8-match losing streak

India ended their losing streak against England and in Hyderabad as well in the 2011 ODI

India’s euphoria after winning the World Cup 2011 for the first time on home soil didn’t last for long. Their tour of England in the summer ended up in complete disarray, as the MS Dhoni-led side failed to win a single game in any of the formats played.

So when England was the first team India would play at the start of its home season, it was time to give it back. And India did so with a 5-0 whitewash of its own, with the first win coming in Hyderabad by a crushing 126-run margin.

Dhoni himself led the way with a 70-ball 87*, backed by Suresh Raina’s 61 to take India’s score to 300/7 after 50 overs. It proved to be a daunting target for England, which succumbed to Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja’s spin.

The match also proved to be India’s first win ever across all formats at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium as well as at home after the famous World Cup 2011 final in Mumbai.

2014: Kohli and Dhawan race to break records

Virat Kohli smashed the 6000-run mark in ODIs against Sri Lanka in his first ODI series as captain

The Australia ODI will be the first one India will contest in Hyderabad after 5 years. Last time, they handed an insipid Sri Lankan side a 6-wicket drubbing.

India cruised to the 243-run target in less than 45 overs, but it was the milestones achieved by captain Virat Kohli and opener Shikhar Dhawan that made the win sweeter for them and the team.

Kohli’s 53 saw him become the fastest in history to reach the 6000-run mark in ODIs, taking 136 innings to get there. It has only been chased down by South Africa’s Hashim Amla ever since, which was a year later in an ODI against India, taking 123 innings for the same.

On the other hand, Dhawan scored 91, which made him the joint fifth-fastest at the time to 2000 ODI runs alongside the great Viv Richards. He took 48 innings to reach the landmark.