"India is far superior to Pakistan in all three formats" - Gautam Gambhir reveals the current best rivalry
Former Indian opening batter Gautam Gambhir believes the India-Pakistan rivalry is not as fierce anymore, given the Men in Blue's superiority over their neighbors across formats. Gambhir believes that the rivalry between India and Australia has been more competitive in recent years.
Due to the political tensions between India and Pakistan, they haven't played any bilateral series since 2012-13. Their encounters have been limited to ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup, which have mostly been lopsided affairs.
In contrast, Australia and the sub-continent giants have traded a handful of blows in recent years.
Speaking on a show on Hotstar, Gambhir underlined that Pakistan beating the Men in Blue in the current era constitutes a massive upset. He said:
"Pakistan has dominated India a lot of times. Currently, if you see the level of both teams, India is far superior to Pakistan in all three formats. If Pakistan defeats India it's an upset, if India defeats Pakistan, it's very much given. India and Australia, from a cricketing point of view, is a top rivalry. If you ask a cricket fan what is the actual rivalry, they will also say India and Australia."
Pakistan's most recent defeat came to India during the 2023 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Batting first, they collapsed from 155-2 after 29.3 overs to 191/10 in 42.5 overs. India completed the chase comfortably with seven wickets in hand.
Australia beat India in 2 ICC finals in 2023:
Australia showcased their supremacy over India during the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final in England and the 2023 World Cup decider in Ahmedabad. Travis Head dominated them in the WTC final at The Oval with a first-innings knock of 163, while Scott Boland was one of the chief destroyers with the ball, sealing a 209-run victory for the Aussies.
Head also stepped up during the 2023 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium with a swashbuckling 137 off 120 deliveries. Australia delivered a disciplined bowling performance to restrict the home side to 240, with the left-hander cracking a century to propel the tourists to a six-wicket win.