Top 5 T20I matches between India and Australia
The Indian cricket team will end 2018 with an eagerly awaited tour down under and fans of both sides can expect an electrifying start to the tour as it kicks off with a three-match T20I series.
The Aussies have a vastly superior record over India in ODI and Test match cricket. However, in the shortest format of the game, the men in blue have 10 wins and that’s twice the number of victories Australia has over India. During a four year period between 2013 and 2017, the Indian team won seven straight T20I matches against them.
Although the hosts will be without David Warner and Steve Smith, they still have a fantastic T20 squad. Their captain, Aaron Finch, is the 2nd ranked batsman in T20 internationals and he also holds the record for the two highest individual scores in the format. He is aided by Glenn Maxwell and D'Arcy Short, and they are placed 6th and 11th in the T20I batting ranking.
The Indian team is led by Virat Kohli who is arguably the best batsman in the world. Kohli has a quality side at his disposal with the right balance and plenty of experience. Given the quality of the two sides and the unpredictability of the shortest format of the game, we may witness a few games that could better these five memorable T20I matches between them.
#5. 2nd Semi-Final, ICC World Twenty20 at Durban, Sep 22 2007
India - 188/5
Australia - 173/7 (20)
India won by 15 runs
The second semi-final of the inaugural T20 World Cup was also the first T20I match between India and Australia. India won the toss and elected to bat first but after eight overs, both the openers were back in the pavilion and only 41 runs were on the board. At this point, Yuvraj Singh joined Robin Uthappa in the middle.
In a blistering inning, Yuvraj scored 70 runs off just 30 balls with five fours and sixes each. Yuvraj’s innings was his first after scoring six sixes in an over against England as he missed the previous game against South Africa through injury.
MS Dhoni’s 36 off 18 and Uthappa’s 34 off 28 balls took India to 188/5 at the end of 20 overs.
Adam Gilchrist got the Aussies off to a flying start in the chase by scoring 22 runs off 13 balls but Sreesanth pulled the brake by bowling a maiden over against Mathew Hayden in the powerplay overs before taking out Gilchrist's middle stump in the first ball of his third over.
Once Sreesanth was taken out of the attack, Aussies found their feet and romped to 129/2 by the end of the 14th over with Hayden and Andrew Symonds comfortably settled at the crease.
With India needing a breakthrough immediately, Dhoni opted to use Sreesanth’s final over and it proved to be a game-changing call. Sreesanth dismantled the stumps to dismiss Hayden and in his four overs, he conceded just 12 runs and picked up two crucial wickets. Once Hayden was dismissed, the momentum swung in India’s favour even though Andrew Symonds raced to 43 off just 26 balls before Irfan Pathan took out his off stump.
Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson could only muster 27 runs in 26 balls between them which left Australia 15 runs short of the target and sent India into the final against Pakistan en route to lifting the trophy.