India vs Australia: Top 4 T20Is

Australia is set to take on India in a 2-match T20I series beginning on 24th February in Vizag. The second T20I will be played in Bengaluru on 27th February.

Hardik Pandya has been ruled out due to a back problem, Mitchell Starc is also out due to a pectoral injury suffered during the Test series against Sri Lanka back home.

India-Australia contests have always been compelling to watch. There is always buzz around whenever these two sides lock horns and with the sort of history, these two sides have, this T20I series also promises to be a cracker.

India and Australia have gone head to head 18 times in 20-over internationals with India emerging victorious 11 times. Australia has won 6 and one was a rain-affected game which ended in a no-result game. The last series these two sides played against each other ended in a 1-1 draw with Shikhar Dhawan emerging Player of the Series. Krunal Pandya was adjudged man of the match in the series leveler by India.

Let's have a quick look at the top 4 T20Is that India and Australia have played against each other.

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#4 India vs Australia, Rajkot (2013-14)

India v Australia

This was a comeback match for the Indian legend, Yuvraj Singh. Australia put into bat by India, scored a mammoth 201 with Aaron Finch going berserk and scoring 89(52). It looked like an uphill task for India as they required 69 runs off the last 6 overs.

The comeback king Yuvraj was in scintillating touch. The left-hander whacked the bowlers all around the park as his trademark powerful flicks, ferocious cuts and elegantly lofted drives enthralled the packed house. India reached home with two balls to spare.

India 202 for 4 (Yuvraj 77*, Dhawan 32, Kohli 29, McKay 2-50, Doherty 1-24) beat Australia 201 for 7 (Finch 89, Maddinson 34, Maxwell 27, Vinay 3-26, Bhuvneshwar 3-35) by six wickets

#3 India vs Australia, Melbourne (2008)

Australia v India - Twenty20 International

This was played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia and it didn't go well for the Indians.

India was fresh after their 2007 T20I World Cup triumph in South Africa a few months back. India started as favorites but a shocking batting display meant that India was bundled out for 74 with only Irfan Pathan getting into double digits and top scoring (26).

Nathan Bracken wreaked havoc as he bagged 3/11 in 2.3 overs. Australia easily chased it down with only one wicket down. Michael Clarke top scored with 37 and was adjudged Player of the Match.

It was hardly a performance of champions from India, crashing to a 9 wicket defeat just 4 months after being crowned the world champions.

Australia 1 for 75 (Clarke 37*, Gilchrist 25, Hodge 10*, P. Kumar 1-15) beat India 74 (Pathan 26, Dhoni 9, Gambhir 9, Bracken 3-11, Voges 2-5) by nine wickets

#2 India vs Australia, Mohali (2016)

ICC World Twenty20 India 2016: India v Australia

This one was one of the best matches played in the 2016 T20I World Cup in India. It was a must-win game for both the teams as the winner was set to meet Windies in the semi-final. It also happened out to be the last international for Shane Watson, thanks to an ever so hungry Virat Kohli who dished out a special and added yet another feather to his already rich cap.

Australia, batting first, put on 160 and with the way the wicket was behaving, it was believed to be par. India were all in all sorts of troubles with them needing 39 off the last 3 to book a place into the semi-finals. Virat Kohli showed his temperament once again, scored 19 each off James Faulkner and Nathan Coulter-Nile to send India into the semi-finals.

The hopes of an entire nation rested on his shoulders. As soon as MS Dhoni joined him, he ensured that the Indian innings finally took off and reached the destination in style.

India 161/4 (Kohli 82*(51), Yuvraj 21(18), Dhoni 18*(10), Watson 2-23, Coulter-Nile 1-33) beat Australia 160/6 (Finch 43(34), Khawaja 26(16), Maxwell 31(28), Hardik Pandya 2-36, Yuvraj 1-19) by six wickets

#1 India vs Australia, Durban (2007)

India v Australia - Twenty20 International World Cup Semi Final

The second semi-final of the inaugural edition of the T20I world cup in 2007 is one of the matches that every Indian cricket fan will take with him to his grave. India was never considered powerful enough to defeat the mighty Aussies in ICC events.

It was vengeance time for the Indians who were thrashed by Australia in the 2003 World Cup final on the same African soil. India put on 188 with Yuvraj Singh going all out on the Aussie bowlers, blazing to 70 off just 30 deliveries.

Australia started strongly with Matthew Hayden on a song but Sreesanth had other plans as he sent both the openers back to the pavilion. Australia finally fell 15 runs short and India set up a date with Pakistan in the final. They eventually defeated their arch-rivals in an electrifying final and went on to lift the cup.

India 188/5 (Yuvraj 70, Dhoni 36, Uthappa 34, Johnson 2-31, Clarke 1-13) beat Australia 173/7 (Hayden 62, Symonds 43, Gilchrist 22, Sreesanth 2-12, Joginder Sharma 2-37 by 15 runs.