The cricket rivalry between the India National Cricket Team and the Australia Men cricket team is one of the most popular matches in Indian history. The matches are usually intense, and players give epic performances across all formats. Both the teams are very competitive and give tough times to each other in matches. However, As per historic matches, the Australian cricket team has won more matches than India across all formats. Here are the details of the India National Cricket Team vs Australian men’s cricket team timeline.
Early Encounters (1947-1979)
The rivalry between India and Australia cricket team started back in 1947-48 when India visited Australia after independence. Australia won the test series 4-0 under the leadership of Sir Donald Bradman. During early encounters, India struggled to match the performance of the Australian team.
In 1956, Australia visited India for the first time to play a test series and won 2-0. India won the first test series against Australia in 1979-80 during home series. India won 2-0, making it a milestone for changing India’s reputation in world cricket.
Growing competitiveness and epic moments (1980s-1990s)
In the 1980s India and Australia’s rivalry became more competitive and balanced. The 1986 Chennai test concluded as only the second tie test match in history. The double century scored by Dean Jones marked the legendary play in cricket history.
In 1991 – 92, the Test series was held in Australia, where India lost the matches. Sachin Tendulkar came into the limelight for the masterful century at WACA Ground in Perth.
The ODI matches played during this era were also very intense. In the 1996 World Cup, India won the trophy against Australia. In the 1998 Coca-Cola Cup Sharjah, India again won with consecutive centuries by Sachin Tendulkar. It was also known as his “Desert Storm” innings.
Read More: Mumbai Indians Vs Lucknow Super Giants Timeline
Rising modern Greats and high stakes series (2000-2009)
In 2001 Border-Gavaskar trophy in India became an iconic series. India lost the first test and showed an amazing comeback in the second test at Eden Gardens. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid performed greatly scoring 281 and 180 respectively. India then won the series 2-1 and ended Australia’s 16-match winning streak.
In 2003 ICC cricket world cup final match, Risky ponting had historic 140 not out which became the reason for Australia’s win by 125 runs. It was their third world cup title.
In 2004, Australia won the test series in India for the first time in 35 years. During 2007-2008, the rivalry between the teams became controversial when the series took place in Australia. The famous “Monkeygate” incident took place during this series and involved Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds. Even after so many issues, India played amazingly in the Perth Test and finished the series with respect.
In 2008, India won the Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series in Australia. There were many young players in the team including Rohit Sharma, Ishant SHarma and MS Dhoni. It was the beginning of a new era for the India cricket team.
India National Cricket Team and Australian Men’s Cricket Team Historic Achievements (2010-2019)
In 2011, ICC world cup quarter final, India defeated Australia, breaking their 12 years record for benign champions. Player of the Match was Yuvraj Singh for his all round performance.
In the 2011-12 test match, India visited Australia. India lost the series with a 4-0 whitewash. India overhauled their team and won the test series 4-0 against Australia in 2013. MS Dhoni made a double century and Ravindra Jadeja’s breakout performance was remarkable.
2018-19 saw the significant achievements of the India cricket team where India won 5 test series in Australia for the first time by 2-1. Cheteshwar Pujara scored 521 runs and the epic performance of Jasprit Bumrah was the most memorable in the series.
India National Cricket Team and Australian Men’s Cricket Team Tough competition 2020-2023
The Border Gavaskar trophy was played in 2020-21 where India lost the matches. In the 2023 Border Gavaskar trophy, India won the series 2-1. Also, India played in the World Test Championship but Australia won the trophy.
2023 ICC cricket world cup final match was played in Ahmedabad where Australia won the match due to amazing performance by Travis Head. He scored 137 runs which was the main reason for the Australian win. In the same year the T20I series was played and India won 4-1 against Australia due to the amazing performance by Ritiraj Gaikwad and Jitesh Sharma.
Key matches played between India and Australia cricket team.
| Date | Format | Venue | Match highlights | Winning team |
| 1947-1948 | Test | Australia | First test series between the teams | Australia |
| 1986 | Test | Chennai | The match was a tie, Dean jones scored 210 runs | Tie |
| 1998 | ODI | Sharjah | “Desert Storm” by Sachin Tendulkar | India |
| 2001 | Test | Eden Gardens | Laxman scored 281, and Dravid scored 180. | India |
| 2003 | ODI | Johannesburg | ICC World Cup Final | Australia |
| 2007-08 | Test | Sydney | Monkeygate match controversy | Australia |
| 2008 | ODI | CB Series Final | Impressive performance by Dhoni | India |
| 2011 | ODI | Ahmedabad | ICC World Cup Quarter Final | India |
| 2018-19 | Test | Australia | First test series won by India in Australia | India |
| 2021 | Test | Brisbane | India broke Australia’s record of Australia winning for 32 years | India |
| 2023 | Test | The Oval | WTC Final | Australia |
| 2023 | ODI | Ahmedabad | ODI World Cup final | Australia |
Head to Head stats
The head-to-head stats for the India vs Australia cricket timeline are discussed below:
Test Matches
| Total Test | 107 |
| India wins | 32 |
| Australia Wins | 45 |
| Drawn | 30 |
| First match | 28th November 1947 |
| Most Recent | 9th March 2023 |
ODI
| Total Matches | 150+ |
| India wins | 57 |
| Australia Wins | 83 |
| No results | 10+ |
| First match | 6th December 1980 |
| Most Recent | 19th November 2023 |
T20I
| Total Matches | 30+ |
| India wins | 17 |
| Australia Wins | 11 |
| No result | 2 |
| First match | 1st February 2008 |
| Most Recent | 3rd December 2023 |
ICC Tournaments
| Tournament | Matches played | India wins | Australia Wins |
| ODI World Cup | 13 | 5 | 8 |
| T20 World cup | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Champions Trophy | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| World Test Championship | 1 | 2 | 1 |
FAQs
Who won more matches between India and Australia in all formats?
Australia won more matches across all formats played between Indian and Australian teams.
Which team performed better in ICC tournaments- India or Australia?
Australia won 13 ICC tournaments while India won 11 tournaments. Australia showed dominance in ODI world cups and India had dominance in T20 world cups and Champion Trophy.
Which match was the most iconic played between India and Australia?
The most iconic match was played in the 2001 Kolkata Test at Eden Gardens between India and Australia. It was an epic comeback by India with 376 runs.
When was the first win of the India team against Australia in a Test series in Australia?
India won the first test series in Australia during the 2018-19 season.
Did India ever defeat Australia in the World Cup?
Yes, India defeated Australia in the 2011 World Cup quarterfinals and 2007 T20 World Cup semi-finals.
