Meta Description: One after the other, the Indian team’s performances have been significant. Read on to gauge knowledge on who is the next best in the cricketing world!
The current Indian Cricket Team of both Men and Women are in tremendous form. With dominance in both home and away matches, white ball, and red ball, these teams have strived hard to stand on top. While Australia has already made its mark, it won’t let anybody take the throne that easily, let alone India, one of their most formidable rivals.
Let’s explore how India is emerging as the next best cricketing nation after Australia. Take a look at the key insights into their performances, team development, and the significance of this ever-evolving, ongoing rivalry.
1. India Men’s Team: Emergence as a Global Powerhouse
India’s men’s team has seen exponential growth in recent decades, making them a worthy contender to Australia’s dominance.
Key Performances:
- ICC Tournaments:
India has won multiple ICC tournaments, including the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. These wins positioned India as one of the most feared teams in white-ball cricket. While Australia has more World Cup victories – 5, India has developed a habit of performing on the grandest stages. Continuously reaching the finals of WTC, ODI World Cups, and T20 World Cups. The Indian Men’s team also won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
- Test Cricket:
Australia’s Test cricket legacy is unparalleled, but India the current Indian cricket team has emerged as a strong force in the longest format as well. Under the captaincy of Virat Kohli and now Rohit Sharma, India has claimed historic overseas wins, including a 2-1 series victory in Australia in 2018-19, their first-ever series win on Australian soil, followed by another historic win in 2020-21, at Gabba.
The depth in India’s fast-bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, has contributed to this success, leveling the playing field against Australia’s pace attack led by Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
- Home Dominance:
Indian cricket team’s dominance at home is rivaled only by Australia’s, with the team consistently outperforming opponents on spin-friendly pitches. This home advantage, coupled with the emergence of spin-bowling talents like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, has made India formidable across formats.
Significance of India’s Growth:
India’s rapid rise has disrupted Australia’s long-standing dominance. The India-Australia rivalry has now become one of the most eagerly anticipated contests in cricket, with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy being a major highlight of the international cricket calendar.
2. India Women’s Team: Closing the Gap with Australia
India’s women’s team, once in the shadows, has now emerged as a serious contender on the world stage, challenging Australia’s authority in women’s cricket.
- Wins Over Australia:
The Indian women’s team has yearned and earned everyone’s respect for its consistent challenges to the Australian side. In 2021, India won an ODI against Australia, ending their record 26-match winning streak in the format. Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues have been key to India’s resurgence, giving Australia a real fight for supremacy.
- Commonwealth Games 2022 Final:
India faced Australia in the final of the 2022 Commonwealth Games T20 cricket competition, finishing as runners-up. India’s ability to push Australia to the brink in crucial matches is symbolic of the narrowing gap between the two sides.
Significance:
Australia has been a powerhouse in women’s cricket, winning seven ICC Women’s World Cups (ODI) and five ICC T20 World Cups. However, India’s emerging talents, from the explosive batting of Shafali Verma to the consistency of Poonam Yadav in bowling, signify a changing narrative. The India-Australia encounters are increasingly competitive, with India pushing to dethrone Australia’s dominance.
3. Infrastructure and Investment: A Cricket Comparison
India’s Development:
- India has developed a strong domestic circuit, producing world-class talents through competitions like the IPL (Indian Premier League) and the Women’s Premier League (WPL). The IPL has been instrumental in improving India’s bench strength, allowing players like Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav to perform on the biggest stages.
- The recent launch of the WPL in 2023 is expected to have a similar impact on the women’s game, providing a platform for young female cricketers to showcase their talent, much like Australia’s WBBL (Women’s Big Bash League).
Australia’s Establishment:
Australia’s success can be largely attributed to its robust domestic systems, including the Sheffield Shield and the WBBL, which have consistently produced world-class cricketers. The National Performance Program and Australia’s focus on youth development have been key in maintaining their dominance.
While India is still catching up in terms of grassroots, the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and state-of-the-art facilities are rapidly closing the gap, producing talents that can compete with the best in the world and be the very best themselves.
4. Head-to-Head Rivalry: Rising Competition
Indian Men’s Cricket Team:
- The Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) has become one of the most fiercely contested bilateral Test series. India’s two back-to-back series victories on Australian soil in 2018-19 and 2020-21 have added intensity to this rivalry. The upcoming 2024 BGT is set to be played on Australian soil yet again, making it the most intense game of 2024-2025. While Australia seeks revenge, Indians are set to make a worthy comeback.
- In limited-overs cricket, India and Australia frequently meet in ICC tournaments and bilateral series, with India often holding the upper hand in T20 cricket, while Australia remains a force in ODIs.
Indian Women’s Cricket Team:
- Australia and India’s women’s teams have developed a fierce rivalry, often facing each other in the business end of global tournaments. While Australia still holds the upper hand, India has consistently closed the gap, with players like Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur becoming household names.
5. Challenges Ahead: Where Can India Still Improve
While India has achieved significant success, there are areas where Australia still holds the edge:
- Fielding and Fitness:
In ICC tournaments Australia’s teams, both men and women, have often been praised for their athleticism, agility in the field, and fitness standards. India’s teams, while improving, need to bridge the gap in this department, especially in fielding, to match Australia’s intensity. - Handling Pressure in ICC Finals:
India has frequently reached the knockout stages of ICC tournaments but has struggled in finals, especially recently. The ability to handle pressure in big matches remains a key challenge for India, whereas Australia has consistently thrived in these situations.
While furthering the Indian cricket team, Cricaza has been rooting for India to be the dominating side at all times. It not only aims to promote cricket, but live streams and covers all the epic matches between India and Australia. It also ensures to host tournaments that entertain you and make you feel a part of the team. It’s just a 360-degree cricketing platform, looking to gather all the creating fans.
The Rise of the Indian Cricket Team
While Australia remains the big name in world cricket, India is rapidly emerging as the next best, both in the men’s and women’s formats. The competition between Indian cricket teams and Australian cricket teams has raised the standard of global cricket, with India closing the gap in key areas such as pace bowling, team depth, and youth development.
The rivalry between these two cricketing giants is sure to define the future of the sport, and fans around the world can expect many more thrilling contests as India aims to dethrone Australia from its position as the most dominant cricketing nation.