The India vs Australia cricket rivalry is one of the fiercest in international cricket. Both countries have played in some classic matches, made legendary performances which had a great impact on the modern-day game of Test cricket and made some indisputably unforgettable moments through many series. However, from India’s record, the nature of the challenge it faces in Australia away is in stark contrast to its dominance at home. In this article, we reflect on India’s performance in travel against Australia at both home and away across the three formats Tests, ODIs and T20S – and look at the trends, turning points and key performances.
Rivalry – Historical Context
The cricket rivalry between India and Australia began in 1947 to 48 when India first toured Australia. Both teams have developed into cricketing mights since then. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy was established in 1996 to 97 to further enhance their Test battles.
Recognising Australia’s historical advantage at home and due to pace-related pitches and India’s corresponding strength in spin conditions, the rivalry has narrowed as both teams play in conditions far better than ever before.
India’s Record at Home vs Australia
India’s home record against Australia is exceptional, especially in the past two decades.
Test Matches at Home
- Matches Played: 52
- India Wins: 23
- Australia Wins: 13
- Draws: 16
India’s dominance at home has grown since the early 2000s. The turning tracks of Chennai, Delhi, Nagpur, and Ahmedabad have proven to be fortresses for Indian spinners.
Key moments include:
- The 2001 Test Match in Kolkata is a famous occasion when the partnership of Laxman and Dravid turned the series on its head, from India being forced to follow on.
- 2013 series – India cruised to a 4-0 series win with spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja spinning a web around the Australian batters.
- 2017 series – India rebounded from a loss in Pune to confirm victory with a Series win of 2-1.
ODI and T20S at Home
- In limited-overs formats, India has a strong overall record at home.
- ODI: India has a home win percentage of 60 or more against Australia.
- T20: The match-ups have been closer, but India’s familiarity with the conditions nevertheless has helped in most cases.
- The combination of flat pitches, dew factor and home crowd made India difficult to beat, and we will see this again in the 2023 series.
India’s Record in Australia
Playing in Australia has always been a different story. The fast and bouncy tracks of the Gabba, MCG, and Perth have historically challenged Indian batsmen and bowlers alike.
Test Matches in Australia
- Matches Played: 51
- India Wins: 10
- Australia Wins: 31
- Draws: 10
For decades, India struggled to adapt to the pace and bounce. However, in the 21st century, things began to change.
Key moments include:
- 2003-04 Series: India, captained by Sourav Ganguly, tied the series 1-1 after Dravid’s double century in Adelaide and Sehwag’s 195 in Melbourne changed the game.
- 2018-19 Series: India achieved the historic first-ever Test series in Australia (2-1) under captain Virat Kohli.
- 2020-21 Series: Even with injuries and setbacks, Ajinkya Rahane’s team defeated Australia yet again, winning the series 2-1 and achieving a historic victory at the Gabba, breaking Australia’s 32-year unbeaten record at home.
ODIs and T20S in Australia
In limited-overs cricket, India’s performances have been more consistent.
- India won the 2016 T20I series 3–0 in Australia.
- In ODIs, India’s 2019 bilateral series win was their first ever in Australia.
The Major Factors Contributing to Home and Away Differences
A) Weather Conditions and Pitch
The spin-friendly Indian pitch allows local lower-order batsmen to flourish, like Ashwin and Jadeja, while Australian pitches are often conducive to the skills of the fast-bowling trio of Starc and Cummins. Although the Kookaburra ball, which is often used in Australia, will operate quite differently from the SG ball you may use during a match in India and potentially inhibit some swing and seam, and swing movement on the ball.
B) Batting Techniques
An Indian batsman has always struggled with pace and bounce while playing abroad, while Australian batsmen have struggled with spin when playing in subcontinental conditions. As of recent years, players like Kohli and Smith and Labuschagne have seemed a bit more acclimatised toward modern-day adaptive styles focusing on pace and bounce in their home conditions with similar spin techniques abroad.
C) Experience and Mental Toughness
In the past few years, the Indian players’ mindset abroad has taken a lot less mental toughness than its the past; for example, players like Pujara, Pant, Bumrah, and Rahane seem to be comfortable and composed in the mental aspect of high-pressure situations abroad.
D) Preparation and Bench Strength
Some of India’s successes in returning experience domestically and abroad are due to the strength of the Indian domestic system (Ranji Trophy, India A Tours, IPL). It would be fair for Australian teams to deny India’s great success; however, it will just have to remain to be seen how many times Indian batsmen fail during their experience of making or failing to make runs off Australian fast bowlers and bowlers alike under the conditions established both domestically and abroad.
Player Comparisons
Home Heroes
- Ravichandran Ashwin & Ravindra Jadeja: Deadly spin duo responsible for most home victories.
- Virat Kohli & Cheteshwar Pujara: Consistent run machines against Australia in India.
- Anil Kumble & Harbhajan Singh: Legendary spinners who tormented Australian line-ups.
Away Heroes
- Rahul Dravid: More than 600 runs in the 2003 to 04 series.
- Ajinkya Rahane: Captain of the famous 2021 Gabba win.
- Jasprit Bumrah & Mohammed Shami: Pace spearheads responsible for key breakthroughs abroad.
Performance Summary: India vs Australia (Home and Away)
India (Home):
- Tests: 23 Wins – 13 Losses – 16 Draws
- ODIs: 32 Wins – 21 Losses
- T20Is: 6 Wins – 4 Losses
- India has been dominant at home, using spin-friendly pitches and crowd support to their advantage.
Australia (Away):
- Tests: 10 Wins – 31 Losses – 10 Draws
- ODIs: 18 Wins – 29 Losses
- T20Is: 5 Wins – 7 Losses
- While India’s overseas record is still developing, the team has shown major improvement in recent years, especially with historic Test series wins in 2018 to 19 and 2020 to 21.
The Changing Environment
The difference in performances between home and away is narrowing quickly. The fitness levels, fast-bowling depth, and exposure to Australian conditions have greatly improved in India. The emergence of all-format players like Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill adds to the balance.
At the same time, Australia has missed more than its share at times in India due to their struggles against spin. Even experienced players such as Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne have struggled on turning tracks.