Five rivalries that can match the Ashes

#2 India-Australia

Australia v India

This is very much a modern rivalry that sparked into life following the 1980-81 series in Australia and over the years, it has become one of the most fiercely contested Test series in the world.

The two nations played their first Test series in 1947-48 and the rivalry was dominated by Australia for close to three decades before India finally won one in 1979-80. However, it was during the series in 1980-81 that the rivalry truly flourished when, during the Melbourne Test, Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar threatened to walk off with the team after he did not agree with an LBW decision.

In the same game, Kapil Dev took five wickets to dismiss Australia for 83, fashioning a famous win. Over the years, the rivalry has witnessed some of cricket's biggest controversies, with the Monkeygate, the Sydney Test in 2008 and the DRS-gate of 2017 being the notable ones.

The Test series are almost always hotly contested and even in 2017, when every other side was steamrolled in India, Australia were the only ones who gave the hosts a credible fight. Since the turn of the millennium, the rivals have played 10 series. India have won 5, Australia have won 4 and 1 series in Australia in 2003-04 was drawn.