India vs Australia: Reliving the top 5 encounters

As I write this, the India-Australia Test series has commenced. There is a fair bit of excitement among the Indian cricket fans regarding this series and many are looking forward to a well-contested battle in the days to come. Though, it remains to be seen as to how the crowds react to a Team India sans its legendary stars like Laxman and Dravid, who have been part of some truly epic encounters with the Aussies. However, we can expect an extremely hard fought and truly enjoyable series ahead, which should satiate the thirst of cricket fans the world over.

The India-Australia cricket rivalry has found some fresh zing in the last decade or so. Though it comes nowhere close to the nail-biting moments that India-Pakistan matches exude, there still are some truly historic and epic moments that have taken place over these last few years between the two teams. Though I wasn’t there to witness some of the more famous ties between them, like the famous tied test in Chennai in 1986 between the two teams, there still are plenty of other such matches that I was fortunate enough to watch.

The list, of course, is quite massive and it would be impossible to jot them all down in this little space. Hence, I will try and look back to pick out five of the most memorable encounters between these two teams that have left a mark on my mind as an avid cricket viewer. Being an Indian, I have compiled my list based primarily on matches that resulted in Indian victories and hence it might seem a little biased to many, but then again, it is impossible to please everyone. You may or may not agree with them at all but here it goes anyway:

The day that changed Indian cricket forever

No chapters of India-Australia cricket history can be complete without the mention of this match. It was a day that Indian cricket changed forever. It was a balmy day in March 2001 and I remember having to attend my board exams that day. The day before, the second day of the three match India-Australia series, India had been enforced the follow-on by the Aussies after being bowled out for about 170, chasing a huge Australian 1^st innings score of 445 at the Eden Gardens. The Aussies were on a winning streak of 16 consecutive Test wins and another one looked set on the cards. Everything looked murky for Team India then as they were 0-1 down in the series and were looking down the barrel, despite Harbhajan’s hat-trick in the 1st innings. Then came that legendary duo of Laxman and Dravid and the rest, like they say, is history. What followed has been repeated a million times after that, but to feel the magic on that particular day was totally bliss.

I remember all of us students trying to follow the match on the radio. Word spread around that Laxman was going bonkers and thus a bunch of us hid in the school bathroom and tried to catch on to the score. As Laxman kept scoring, the numbers inside the bathroom too splurged with every passing over. I will never, ever forget that day. There was a palpable excitement in the air which told us that something big was about to transpire. And that is exactly what happened. Laxman’s enchanting 281 and Dravid’s monumental 180 runs led India to one of the most famous victories the country has ever seen. It changed the graph of the rivalry between the two teams and in fact, made the whole cricketing world believe that the then mighty Aussies were conquerable after all.

‘Desert-storm’ Sachin

The only one in this list which resulted in an Indian defeat. But the people who have watched this epic ODI game from 1998 will agree that one lone man made the hearts of a million Indian fans thump with pride. The venue was the famous Sharjah cricket ground and India was battling the Aussies in an all-important tri-series match, the result of which would decide if they would go on to reach the finals. Chasing a stiff target of 270 odd runs in 50 overs, India had to score close to 240 odd runs in about 44 overs to reach the finals or face the risk of elimination. As was the case so often those days, India were hugely dependent on Sachin Tendulkar to do the job for them and like many times before and after that match, he did not disappoint.

What followed was a single-handed carnage. While the others around him flattered to deceive, Sachin carried on like a man possessed. Even the sand-storm, which interrupted the game in between, did nothing to disrupt his flow. Tony Grieg and Ravi Shastri were on air as Sachin hit those glorious fours and sixes and made the crowd go into a mad frenzy. One particular shot that still rings fresh on my mind is the straight six Sachin hit off Damien Fleming, straight over the sight screens and into the crowd. He made sure that India easily crossed the required target that would take them through into the finals. But even after doing so, Sachin kept up the slaughter and wanted to take his team to victory; which unfortunately was not to be as Sachin perished soon after playing a scintillating innings of 143 runs. India did lose the match but many hearts had been won that unforgettable night. Interestingly, India went on to win the finals of the series by defeating the same Australian team courtesy another superlative century from Sachin in the finals. But somehow, I find this century of his in a lost cause is worth cherishing for a lifetime. It had stuff legends are made of.

When Yuvi went bonkers

The T20 World Cup 2007 is primarily remembered for two of its most epic scenes – Yuvraj’s six sixes against England and Sreesanth’s climatic catch in the last ball of the finals against Pakistan. However, there was another equally thrilling match that lifted Indian spirits and catapulted them into the finals of the event with whipping force. Before that match, India had passed through the Super Six stage of the event with some superb cricket, but they faced the mighty and dominant Aussies in the semi-finals and even the hardcore cricket fan was skeptic of an Indian victory.

However, it was Yuvraj Singh, fresh from his six sixes in India’s last match against England, who shined with élan once again. Indians were batting first and were struggling in the initial nine overs or so when Gautam Gambhir departed and in came Yuvraj. He came, he saw and he conquered. Yuvraj’s 30 ball 70 left the Aussies stunned; it was like being slapped right across the face without even realizing what hit them. The innings was replete with some of the most astonishing yet sparkling shots you would ever see. None of the bowlers, from Brett Lee to Mitchell Johnson to Stuart Clark, were spared. Ian Chappell even wondered from the commentary box whether Yuvi had a spring up his bat as he hit those clean sixes and fours with such ridiculous ease. India scored a massive total of 188 off their allotted 20 overs, and with the combined efforts of their bowlers, managed to restrict the Aussies well-below that and stormed in the World T20 finals. For me, this match was the perfect stimulant for the Indians to believe that they can win this title and that is exactly what happened two days later.

Kumble and Srinath to the rescue – courtesy their bat

This is a kind of match which will perhaps never go down the history books as an epic game of cricket. It was a ‘normal’ ODI league match in the Titan Cup in 1996 at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore between India and Australia. But I shall remember this forever because of the two unlikely heroes it produced and the unexpected fervour it created among the Indian fans.

Australia had scored a modest 215 from their 50 overs and India were going well, with Sachin playing his usual match-saving knock before the innings got haywire. Wickets started falling in a heap and soon, Sachin too perished giving in to pressure. It was two of India’s lead bowlers Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath who came together at the crease next with India still needing about 50 runs to cross the line, with just the last two wickets remaining. Almost everyone had given up hope, the crowds had started thinning and most people had switched off their TV sets, expecting another loss on the cards. But the two bowlers showed uncharacteristic grit and hung around to bear the storm.

Kumble was the gentler one who kept sneaking in singles and twos while Srinath kept flashing his bat, albeit wisely this time, and got some valuable runs for the team. After coming in close to the target, Srinath broke the shackles with a couple of huge sixes. A particular straight one, right into the stands, off Steve Waugh, still rings fresh in the memory. It was classical tail-end batting, under massive pressure and which ultimately resulted in an absolute thrilling win for the Indians as the duo stayed put till the end and saw India through.However, the most memorable image of the game that I still have with me all these years is the mothers of the two locals Kumble and Srinath, jumping and cheering in joy together in the stands of the stadium, as their sons scored every boundary. It made us feel like taking their hands and joining in the dance with them. True Indian melodrama at its supreme best and thankfully everybody was loving it this time.

The resurgence of new India

There are many other epic India-Australia matches that I could have put in this slot. But I still chose to go with this one simply because it gave birth to the resurgent new Indian team; one that was fearless and was willing to take the world head on. The ICC Knock-out ODI Championship 2000 in Kenya did exactly that. And it was with this particular match against Australia that we announced the arrival of the new Indian team.

India were facing the then world champions in an all important ‘knock-out’ match in the series. Few expected us to overcome the Aussies, but what followed was true team spirit and India won the game fair and square because of contributions from almost every single member of the young and exuberant bunch. Batting first, India scored 260 odd runs and halted the Aussies much below that. It was the match which brought to the fore a young Yuvraj Singh’s arrival into the international arena with his strokeful 84 in only his second outing. But he wasn’t the sole hero in that game; there was Sachin’s small little gem of 39 runs, a young Zaheer Khan’s superb bowling performance and the entire team’s splendid fielding that completely took the Aussies by surprise. The best scene of the match was Zaheer Khan shattering Steve Waugh’s stumps in the final stages of the game and roaring in delight. The team continued its superb performance and reached the finals of the event where they were defeated by a determined New Zealand. But it showed us that we Indians were here to stay and would not bow down come what may. The trend, thankfully, has continued over the years despite minor hiccups in the way.

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It was quite tempting to use a few other epic encounters between these two teams in this list, be it the infamous 2008 Sydney Test match, the thrilling 2001 Chennai Test match, India’s splendid victory in Adelaide 2004, the 2011 World Cup quarter-final and many more like them. But I chose to go with these as they have left a considerable mark on me and shall perhaps remain so forever. Hopefully, the coming Test series will provide us with many more of such thrilling clashes which cricket fans can cherish for a lifetime.