Picking an all-time India-Australia playing 11 in ODIs ft. Virat Kohli, Brett Lee

India and Australia are two of the top sides in one-day cricket. The Men in Blue have won the ODI World Cup twice - in 1983 in England and in 2011 at home. They also won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 after finishing joint-winners with Sri Lanka in 2002. Team India were the runners-up in the 2023 one-day World Cup.

Looking at Australia, they have lifted the one-day World Cup as many as six times. The Aussies won the coveted trophy for the first time in the sub-continent in 1987. They then registered a hat-trick of triumphs, winning the World Cup in 1999, 2003 and 2007. Australia also lifted the World Cup at home in 2015 and won the most recent edition held in India in 2023.

Speaking of their record in the ICC Champions Trophy, they have won the tournament twice. The Aussies beat West Indies by eight wickets in the 2006 final in Mumbai and New Zealand by six wickets in the 2009 final in Centurion.

Some tremendous players from India and Australia have featured in one-dayers over the years. On that note, we undertake the extremely tough task of trying to put together an all-time India-Australia playing 11 in ODIs.

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Top order: Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist, Virat Kohli

Former Australian opener Adam Gilchrist (Image Credits: Getty Images)

There were plenty of options for the two opening slots in the all-time India-Australia playing 11 in one-dayers. The list includes illustrious names like Sourav Ganguly, Rohit Sharma, Mark Waugh, David Warner and Matthew Hayden. In the end, though, it was difficult to look beyond Sachin Tendulkar and Adam Gilchrist.

Tendulkar played 463 ODIs for India and amassed 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23, with 49 hundreds and 96 fifties. On the other hand, Gilchrist represented Australia in 286 one-dayers and smashed 9,595 runs at an average of 35.93 and a strike rate of 96.89, with 16 tons and 55 fifties.

Virat Kohli was the obvious choice for the No. 3 slot in the all-time India-Australia playing 11 in ODIs. The 36-year-old has scored 13,906 runs in 295 one-dayers at an excellent average of 58.18 and a strike rate of 93.54, with 50 tons and 72 fifties. He is the only batter in world cricket with 50 one-day hundreds.

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Middle order: Ricky Ponting (captain), Mike Hussey, MS Dhoni (wicket-keeper)

Former India captain MS Dhoni (Image Credits: Getty Images)

Again, there were plenty of options available for the middle-order slots in the all-time India-Australia playing 11 in ODIs. The likes of Michael Bevan, Steve Smith, Dean Jones, Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid and Michael Clarke were in contention. In the end, the slots went to Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey and MS Dhoni.

Ponting would be the captain in the all-time India-Australia playing 11 in ODIs. Punter played 374 one-dayers for the Aussies and amassed 13,589 runs at an average of 41.81 and a strike rate of 80.19, with 29 tons and 82 half-centuries.

Mike Hussey made a late entry into international cricket, but did enough to pip some of the other Australian legends. A brilliant middle-order batter, the left-hander played 185 one-dayers and scored 5,442 runs at an average of 48.15 and a strike rate of 87.16, with three centuries and 39 half-centuries to his name.

Dhoni would be the keeper-batter and finisher in the all-time India-Australia ODI XI. With him in the team, Gilchrist can play as a pure batter. Dhoni represented India in 347 matches and slammed 10,599 runs at an average of 50.23 and a strike rate of 87.13, with the aid of nine hundreds and 73 fifties.

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Bowlers: Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Zaheer Khan, Glenn McGrath, Anil Kumble

Shane Warne celebrates a wicket in an ODI against South Africa. (Image Credits: Getty Images)

Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath and Zaheer Khan would be the pacers in the all-time India-Australia ODI playing 11, while leggies Shane Warne and Anil Kumble would be the frontline spinners.

Lee played 221 ODIs for Australia and claimed 380 wickets at an impressive average of 23.36 and an economy rate of 4.76, with nine five-fers and 14 four-fers. Looking at McGrath's stats, he also claimed 380 scalps in 249 ODIs, averaging 21.98 at an economy rate of 3.87, with seven five-fers and nine four-fers.

Zaheer would offer variety with his left-arm pace bowling option in the all-time India-Australia ODI playing 11. He represented the Men in Blue in 194 matches and picked up 269 wickets at an average of 30.11 and an economy rate of 4.95. Zaheer picked up one five-fer and seven four-fers in his one-day career.

The late Warne represented the Aussies in 193 one-dayers and claimed 291 wickets at an average of 25.82 and an economy rate of 4.25, with one five-fers and 12 four-fers. As for Kumble, the legendary former leg-spinner played 269 one-dayers for Team India, picking up 334 wickets at an average of 30.83 and an economy rate of 4.29, with two five-wicket hauls and eight four-fers.