The India tour of Australia 2020 begins on November 27 with a three-match ODI series followed by as many T20Is and four Test matches. The Indian cricket team will commence their ODI Super Series campaign with the first ODI against Australia on Friday at the SCG.
India vs Australia has always had intensity, to say the least. Right from the personal battles to individual brilliance, the cricket giants have always managed to churn out something special. As we near the first of the three ODIs, let’s take a look at some of the important figures from their 50-over battles.
Indian top scorer vs Australia in ODIs
Former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most number of runs, by quite a margin, against the Aussies. Having played 71 matches against them between 1991-2012, the master blaster accumulated 3,077 runs at an average and strike rate of 44.59 and 84.71 respectively.
His best performance against the Kangaroos came in the fifth ODI of their tour of India in 2009. Although India lost the game by a mere three runs, Tendulkar’s 175 off 141 balls while chasing 351 was applauded by everyone. This is, in fact, his best score against the Aussies.
His previous best was a blistering 143 off 131 balls in 1998, which again came in a losing cause. Apart from that, Tendulkar also boasts scores like 128-ball 141 in October 1998 in Wills International Cup, 139 from 125 balls in 2001, and 134 in April at Sharjah.
Second in the list is current opener Rohit Sharma, who is set to miss the limited-overs series due to a hamstring injury, with 2,208 runs against the Australians. Captain Virat Kohli (1,910), former captain MS Dhoni (1,660) and opener Shikhar Dhawan (1,145) complete the top five list.
Australian top scorer vs India in ODIs
Unlike India, no Australian batsman has managed to cross the 3000-run mark against the Men in Blue. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, with 2,164 runs, is Australia’s top scorer vs India in ODIs. The Aussie has managed to accumulate these many runs in 59 matches, scoring an average of 40.07.
Ponting’s best return against India was arguably his match-winning effort of 140* in the 2003 World Cup. An innings that included eight sixes and four boundaries, the skipper hit the Indian bowlers at a rate of 115.70.
His other notable performances include another match-winning effort of 115 in 2000 and 124 in 2008.
Former wicketkeeper-batsman, Adam Gilchrist follows Ponting with 1,622 runs in 46 games and the likes of Matthew Hayden (1,450), David Boon (1,212) and Aaron Finch (1,211) completes the list.
Most hundreds by an Indian vs Australia in ODIs
Having notched as many as nine tons in the span of 21 years, Sachin Tendulkar, once again, tops the list of most hundreds by an Indian vs Australia in ODIs. Virat Kohli will have a chance to equal the figure in the first ODI as he now has eight centuries against the Aussies, which is the same as Rohit Sharma. Shikhar Dhawan, in his 27 matches against Australia, has scored four centuries, which is the same as VVS Laxman and MS Dhoni.
Most hundreds by an Australian vs India in ODIs
For Australia, no one apart from Ricky Ponting (6 centuries), has scored more than three tons against India. The likes of Aaron Finch, Matthew Hayden, Geoff Marsh, Steve Smith, David Warner and Mark Waugh, all have scored three centuries against India in the ODIs.
Most wickets taken in India vs Australia ODIs
Bowling has always been Australia’s x-factor. Hence, it isn’t surprising that there are as many as three Aussies in the top-five list of most wickets taken in India vs Australia ODIs. Brett Lee, with 55 wickets, tops the list and is the only bowler to take four five-fers against India.
Three of Brett Lee’s four five-wicket hauls came between 2006-2008. He picked his first five-fer in January 2000 where he conceded a mere 27 runs at an economy of 3.05. He matched the exact figures in February 2008 in the first ODI Commonwealth Bank Series. The pacer, that day, dismissed Sachin Tendulkar in his first spell before picking up Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh’s wickets.
Meanwhile, former India captain Kapil Dev sits second with 45 wickets between 1980-1994. He is followed by Mitchell Johnson (43), Steve Waugh (43) and Ajit Agarkar (36).
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar
