India vs Australia: From 1987 World Cup cliffhanger to Titan Cup heist, five most thrilling ODI encounters between sides

After a sensational, or as some would like it, ‘scandalous’ Test series earlier this year, the Australians are back on Indian shores for the remainder of the tour — the limited-overs leg that is — comprising five One-days and three T20Is. India’s unprecedented surge in international cricket in the last decade and Australia’s waning dominance interspersed with on and off-field duels and controversies have made the battle between the titans of the game feistier than ever. There has been so much heat every time the two sides locked horns in recent times, that the rivalry is gaining a reputation second only to the Ashes. It is only fitting that two modern greats in Virat Kohli and Steve Smith are bestowed with duties of carrying the epic rivalry forward. The upcoming series will undoubtedly be no different. As the teams prepare for the showdown, we take a look at five most enthralling encounters between the two sides: India vs Australia, Reliance Cup (World Cup) 1987 After hosting only the second tied match in the illustrious history of Test cricket, Chennai, then Madras, was ready for another cliffhanger the following year. Surprisingly on both occasions, it was India’s number 11 Maninder Singh with his lesser preferred choice of weapon in hand. Unlike the claims of an inside edge made after the last ball of the tied Test, Maninder didn’t get any part of the bat as he was clean bowled by young Steve Waugh. Australia won by a run, but the win was to a small extent aided by Indian captain Kapil Dev’s sporting spirit. Australia’s claimed a six instead of a four signaled by the on field umpire, the runs were awarded to Australia only after Dev agreed to the claim made by the opposition. Two extra runs were added to the total during the innings break, which meant India need 271 to win instead of 269. Who would have thought that the two runs would come to haunt him back? The 1987 ODI was the first limited-overs game played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, and now after more than three decades, the two teams will meet each other at the same venue on 17 September for the first ODI. Incidentally, this will be the first time Chepauk will host India and Australia in coloured clothing.

  India vs Australia, Titan cup 1996 Memories of Zaheer Khan and Murali Kartik pulling off a heist in Mumbai in 2007 are well entrenched in the minds of Indian fans. But often we forget how India’s ninth-wicket pair of Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath bailed India out to script a memorable comeback in Bangalore. It was the era of the 1990s, and the fall of Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket meant it was the time for Indian fans to switch their television sets off and get on with life. Despite Tendulkar’s fall, two local boys put up a defiant show to knock off the remaining 52 runs and take their team over the line. The Bangalore crowd, including Kumble’s mother were up on their feet when the two completed a seemingly impossible task.

Australia vs India, VB Series 2004 If Kumble and Srinath can do it, so can Australia’s Andy Bichel and Brett Lee. Albeit, Bichel and Lee only required 15 runs to take their team home, they were a part of a nervy last few minutes and with 11 required off the final over the game was India’s to lose. Lee’s six over covers helped Australia close in on the target. The anxious moments got to the fielders too, as on the penultimate ball of the match, the batsmen stole a single off a misfield. Yuvraj Singh’s blistering knock of 139 and VVS Laxman’s sublime innings of 102 ended in vain as Australia chased down the revised target of 225 after rain shortened the game at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

India vs Australia, Hyderdabad 2009 Although Australia won the nail-biter, the match will be remembered for Tendulkar’s incandescent 175. The innings was reminiscent of younger Tendulkar going all guns blazing, tearing away bowling attacks across the globe. But who would have guessed with Tendulkar’s time-travel innings, the Indian team would too find its way into the previous century? Tendulkar’s exit and the team collapses, wasn’t it a thing of the 1990s? Well, it was the case of Same ol, same ol. The master blaster was dismissed with the Indians needing anther 18 to conquer Australia’s 350, and the tail brought it down to five needed off three balls with a wicket in hand. Praveen Kumar struck the ball to long off but an accurate throw from Nathan Haurtiz caught the former inches short of the popping crease when wicket-keeper Graham Manou dislodged the bails. Ricky Ponting and company did extremely well to hang in till the very end, but despite the win, Ponting went on record to say that Tendulkar’s innings was one of the best innings he had ever witnessed.

Australia vs India, Sydney 2016 Steve Smith’s Australia had already won the five-match series 4-0 but each game, wicket and run are a matter of pride whenever these two adversaries meet. The Australians were on course of giving India a resounding 5-0 whitewash as David Warner and Mitchell Marsh smashed centuries to set the touring side a stiff target of 331. The new age Indian side was not even a shadow of the team of the previous decade, and the Indian team of 2016 knew only one way of fighting which was fire with fire and they exactly did that. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan set the stage ablaze with a magnificent 123-run stand before the Australians came back with a couple of quick wickets. Rohit Sharma was eventually dismissed for 99, but the team didn’t wilt under pressure. India’s real star of the match was Manish Pandey, who was playing only his fourth ODI back then, went on to score a match-winning 104 under pressure. It was the first successful 300-plus chase against Australia Down Under. With 13 needed off the last over and with MS Dhoni giving company to Pandey, India had the upper hand, but Dhoni got out after slamming a six, making the final few balls very interesting. Pandey stayed put to get his hundred and knock off the winning runs of the fifth ball of the over saved India from a whitewash.