Australia vs India: 5 interesting ODI series that the two powerhouses played in the past

Most of the bilateral ODI series between Australia and India have been played on the Indian soil so far. However, India have won one bilateral series in Australia and it was the last time they toured Down Under.

By CricTracker Staff

Updated - 20 Nov 2020, 14:41 IST

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5. India beat Australia 3-2 in 7-match series in India in 2013-14

Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli Jaipur ODI. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Australia played India in a seven-match ODI series in October 2013 and it was the third time in history. Australia won the two seven-game series that were played before — by identical margins of 4-2. George Bailey’s side was looking to make it three in a row as it took on Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side, the reigning world champions at that time.

The first match was played in Pune on October 13. Bailey won the toss, elected to bat and then showed the way ahead with 85 in 82 balls. Aaron Finch scored 72 off 79 while the late Phil Hughes made 47 off 53. The visitors ended up with 304 for 8 in 50 overs. For India, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh took two wickets each.

India had a decent start to their chase and were comfortably placed at 137 for 2 in the 28th over when Suresh Raina’s promising innings of 39 came to a halt. Virat Kohli top-scored for the hosts with 61 while Rohit Sharma made 42. But others did not put up enough show as the hosts got all out for 232 in the final over to lose by 72 runs. James Faulkner took three for 47 while Clint McCay and Shane Watson claimed two wickets each. Bailey was the man of the match.

The second game was played in Jaipur on October 16 and India made a strong comeback into the series. Bailey won the toss again and powered by five half-centuries from the top five — Bailey 92 not out in 50 balls, Hughes 83 off 103, Watson 59 off 53, Glenn Maxwell 53 off 32 and Finch 50 in 53 — Australia put up a mammoth total of 359 in 50 overs. Vinay Kumar was the best Indian bowler with two wickets but conceded 73 runs in the process.

The Indian side came with a massive reply and overhauled the steep target with nine wickets and more than six overs to spare! Rohit remained not out on 141 off 123 while Kohli blasted an unbeaten 100 in just 52 balls. Shikhar Dhawan, the other opener, fell for 95 in 86 balls. Faulkner was the only Australian bowler to pick a wicket. Rohit was adjudged the man of the match as India levelled the series 1-1.

The third encounter took place in Mohali on October 19. Bailey won his third toss in a row and sent India to bat first. The top-order folded easily but skipper Dhoni slammed 139 not out in 121 balls to give Kohli (68 off 73) a solid partnership of 72 runs. Ashwin’s 28 off 35 down the order gave Dhoni another key assistance and the sum total of these efforts saw India reaching 303 for 9 in their 50 overs.

Mitchell Johnson took 4 for 46 to be the best Australian bowler. India did well to keep Australia’s chase under check and picked their sixth wicket on 213. But Faulkner’s 64 not out at No.8 off just 29 balls gave top scorer Adam Voges (76 not out off 88) saw the visitors having the last laugh as they reached the target with three balls to spare. Faulkner was picked as the man of the match as Australia went up 2-1.

The fourth match in Ranchi on October 23 remained inconclusive because of rain. Dhoni won the toss and sent Bailey’s side to bat first. The Australian captain again came to the party by belting 98 in just 94 balls. His 153-run partnership with Maxwell (92 off 77) for the fifth wicket saw the Kangaroos overcoming the early blows to post 295 for 8 in 50 overs.

Mohammed Shami took three wickets for 42 while Ashwin took two for 57. India were 27 for no loss in 4.1 overs when rain intervened and the game was washed out. Australia maintained their 2-1 lead with three to go. The fifth match in Cuttack on October 26 was a complete wash-out with even the toss not taking place. India were now left to win both the remaining games to avert a series loss.

The important sixth game of the series was played in Nagpur on October 26. Dhoni won the toss and sent Australia to bat first and again, a run-feast was witnessed. Bailey continued with his golden touch with the bat, belting his career-best ODI score of 156 in 114 deliveries while Watson made 102 off 94 balls. The two put on 168 runs for the third wicket and Adam Voges’ late-innings cameo of 44 not out in 38 balls saw the visitors totalling 350 for 6 in 50 overs.

Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin claimed two wickets each. India came up with a solid reply after the break with their openers Rohit (79 off 89) and Dhawan (100 off 102) adding 178 runs in less than 30 overs. Even after the Australians managed to dismiss the openers when the Indian score was 234, it was Virat Kohli’s magnificent 115 not out in 66 balls that never allowed the chase to go off track.

Dhoni came up with 25 not out off 23 to finish the game in style with Kohli and India levelling the series 2-2 with one to go. Johnson claimed two wickets while Kohli finished as the man of the match. The decider was played in Bangalore on November 2 and Australia won the toss and sent India to bat first. It was a decision that Bailey perhaps regretted for a long time as Rohit Sharma wrested the initiative from the word go to slam a majestic double hundred (209 off 158).

Dhawan scored 60 off 62 and Dhoni gave the icing on the cake in the later stages with 62 not out off 38 as India raced to 383 for 6 in 50 overs. Xavier Doherty was the best of the Australian bowlers but he went for a lot of runs — two for 74 in 10 overs. Australia had an ordinary chase with the in-form Bailey (4) returning in the hut in the 16th over and the team score reading 70 for 3. Brad Haddin (40 off 49) was back soon and when Voges (4) returned in the 22nd over, half of the Australian side was back into the pavilion with only 132 runs on the board.

Glenn Maxwell, who made a brisk 60 off 22 balls, was also dismissed soon after and the Indian supporters were busy calculating how crushing the defeat would be. But in came James Faulkner and the pacer put up a fight that every cricket lover on and off the ground will remember for times to come. He blasted 116 off 73 and was given worthy support by Watson who came out to bat at No.8 and scored 49 off 22.

The two added 67 runs but even after Watson fell as the seventh wicket, Faulkner went on hunting for the target and with the tail-enders, he powered Australia to 326 in 45.1 overs when he himself fell as the final wicket. Shami and Jadeja took three wickets each while Ashwin took two. India won by 57 runs to clinch the series 3-2 and Rohit was adjudged the man of the match. Kohli was adjudged the man of the series.

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