Is the Australia-India rivalry the biggest thing in cricket at the moment?

[Swashbuckler]

India vs Oz matters. Yes, it is a rivalry.

Oz vs SA has been a great rivalry since readmission. Some epic series & performances.

The difference with the Ashes is the general media (non sport) soaks up the feeling & speaks about it. Casual fans who normally barely know who is playing or who is even in our team want to talk about the Ashes.

I actually think it more rarely produces cricket/series as good as those other rivalries mentioned. But when it does, like '89, or '93, '05 or Johnson's Ashes... there's nothing quite like it.

General questions. What would Aussie fans prefer, an away Ashes win or a series win in India? Where does the 2004 final frontier win in India rank among Aus cricket successes in the last 30 or so years? What is the biggest prize for Aussie cricket community, test success or ODI WC win?

Would the answers to above questions change if asked to wider Aussie public, and not just passionate cricket fans?

 

[Napa]

India and Australia have been the 2 strongest teams in Test cricket in the past 2 decades. Updating the table [MENTION=140806]jnaveen1980[/MENTION] to the current date we have:



It should be obvious that Australia is far ahead of all other teams other than India.

Going forward the signs are that Australia and India will remain the two strongest teams the next few decades. There is a natural rivalry in any sport between the #1 and the #2 teams. That is the future of Test cricket.

 

[Napa]

Yeah he recovered on time just before the important series of his life which is the Ashes. And at least I am backing my opinion with something. You and your 'tag' friends on the other hand are trying too hard and also trying to force Ind vs Aus rivalry as the biggest rivalry down other people's throats. So far you have got no reasons to put down India vs Pakistan rivalry under India vs Aus. I gave you a start. It is upto you to build upon it.

Also India vs Pakistan is never played on the basis of rankings. Those who have watched enough Indo Pak cricket know this pretty well. Not expecting pyjama league fans to know about this but both teams have beaten each other's stronger teams in the past. Your would have, could have are the only meaningless thing in this debate.

I have "watched enough Indo Pak cricket", and you are still delusional if you think the current #5 ranked Pakistani Test team can compete with the #1 ranked Indian Test team.

You didn't back with opinion about Stokes with anything. You implied that he missed the India series because he did not think India to be important, which is blatantly false.

Now that you have finally come out of hiding about Stokes, maybe you will also "explain" your comment about Warner. "Warner didn't even play against India in first two tests. Ashes is certainly bigger for both these teams."

 

[Napa]

In white ball cricket, India vs Pakistan is the biggest rivalry irrespective of quality of the teams, will always be so. It transcends sport.

Even though I want resumption of bilateral tests between the two countries I hate Indo-Pak tests. Mostly played on dead pitches, both teams adopting safety first approach, high percentage of draws, general lethargy and lack of urgency, one of the most boring sporting contests. Has always been like this barring 1-2 exceptions, look at the scorecards even from the 50s, 70s, 80s.

Test cricket will always be the ultimate format, but just for this one case exception can be made, would prefer a 5 or 7 match ODI/T20 series between the two teams.

Over the last decade the Indian team, specifically its bowling has undergone a dramatic improvement. India has no need to provide dead pitches. Both its batting and bowling are considerably ahead of Pakistan. It wouldn't be a close contest if it happened, but it won't happen. A rivalry cannot continue unless countries play bilaterals, and that seems quite unlikely.

 

[Vocare Ad Regnum]

Pak vs Ind is a political rivalry but Indian team is way ahead in terms of quality especially in longer formats.

Ind vs Aus on the other hand is a rivalry between two teams who are capable of challenging each other and play proper competitive cricket. Ind vs Aus matches are way more interesting.

Shane Warne and other aussie legends wanted bcci and Ca to extend bg trophy to 5 tests, that's the level of competition we see there.

 

[Vocare Ad Regnum]

The only India/Australia rivalry is immigration. Just cos Australia allows Indians to settle in OZ doesn’t mean it’s a rivalry.

Rivalry is a 2 way thing.

You are not aware of a term called sporting rivalry and that's bcoz Pakistan don't have one these days, they just want our validation.

Ind vs Pak is nothing more than a political rivalry between two nations, one of which is way ahead of the other.

 

[Vocare Ad Regnum]

No need. You only have to look at the number of English and Australian players who bailed and ****** on the IPL for preparation of Ashes. Such is the auqaat of Indian cricket - Cannon fodder.

Warner, Smith, Maxwell, Hazelwood, Cummins all played in the IPL, they are the biggest Aussie superstars.
Nz and Eng just canceled their Pak tour without giving a proper reason

 

[Cricfan4eva]

From a neutral perspective I think Ind-Aus has definitely tipped Ashes when it comes to tests.

But when it comes to ODI/T20Is, nothing comes close to the hype and thrill of an Indo-Pak contest.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

I have "watched enough Indo Pak cricket", and you are still delusional if you think the current #5 ranked Pakistani Test team can compete with the #1 ranked Indian Test team.

You didn't back with opinion about Stokes with anything. You implied that he missed the India series because he did not think India to be important, which is blatantly false.

Now that you have finally come out of hiding about Stokes, maybe you will also "explain" your comment about Warner. "Warner didn't even play against India in first two tests. Ashes is certainly bigger for both these teams."

So I am delusional for thinking that India vs Pak is a bigger rivalry than India vs Aus? Have you presented any argument regarding that other than your would have, could have, number 5 rankings? May be you are not understanding the question properly. Which is the biggest rivalry in cricket? You are an IPL fan who understands the language of money so please tell which match will generate more money Ind vs Pak or Ind vs Aus? If you keep ignoring my points and go on and on about your baseless logics then you will hear more of Warners, Ben Stokes type comments.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

You are right about India vs Pakistan being a political rivalry and that is what makes it the biggest rivalry both on and off the field. Our fans/cricket pundits can digest any loss against Australia but find it hard to digest losses against Pakistan. You can debate about the quality of cricket being better in India vs Australia match but I am looking at all the factors and still think India vs Pakistan is the biggest rivalry in cricket.

Hype before the match, number of viewers, statements by players, ex-players, mauka mauka ads, social media, fans running away from forums after their team's loss, individual performances of some players in a big match and exposure of chokers are my reasons for this.

[MENTION=142162]Napa[/MENTION] Looks like you are ready for a debate now. Kindly read the bolded part and counter it with your reasons.

 

[Napa]

So I am delusional for thinking that India vs Pak is a bigger rivalry than India vs Aus? Have you presented any argument regarding that other than your would have, could have, number 5 rankings? May be you are not understanding the question properly. Which is the biggest rivalry in cricket? You are an IPL fan who understands the language of money so please tell which match will generate more money Ind vs Pak or Ind vs Aus? If you keep ignoring my points and go on and on about your baseless logics then you will hear more of Warners, Ben Stokes type comments.

I did not say you were delusional because of "thinking that India vs Pak is a bigger rivalry than India vs Aus".

I said that you are "still delusional if you think the current #5 ranked Pakistani Test team can compete with the #1 ranked Indian Test team."

No doubt there was a big Indo-Pak rivalry in the past, and many Indians still consider it to be their biggest rivalry. My point is simple, a rivalry cannot continue based on arguments about which team is better. It has to be settled on the field, and that isn't happening for the foreseeable future. At best the rivalry has been reduced to who has a higher Test ranking, and the occasional LOI game.

India on the other hand plays Australia in all 3 formats regularly, and if they remain the 2 strongest Test sides they will have the natural rivalry for the top spot.

 

[James]

Keep it civil please gents.

 

[Napa]

[MENTION=142162]Napa[/MENTION] Looks like you are ready for a debate now. Kindly read the bolded part and counter it with your reasons.

Yes, Indians care about games with Pakistan, but:

1) They don't play Pakistan often.

2) Caring about winning against Pakistan, doesn't mean they don't care about winning against Australia.

Personally, I remember the 2015 WC, when I did care about the Pakistan game, but a lot less than I cared about the Australia game. I knew we would likely win against Pakistan and we did. Winning against Australia was much more important as it would mean we would likely win the WC.

 

[Artaxerxes]

From a neutral perspective I think Ind-Aus has definitely tipped Ashes when it comes to tests.

But when it comes to ODI/T20Is, nothing comes close to the hype and thrill of an Indo-Pak contest.

India-Australia rivalry doesn’t exist.Australia’s rivalry is the Ashes.India and South Africa have played a few good test matches with Australia but it is ridiculous to call it a rivalry.Australia and West Indians had a sort of rivalry from mid 70s to late 80s but that was all about being the best team team.West Indies were superior in bowling.They were good in batting too but Australia had better batting line up.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Either you have a very poor understanding of English, or you are trying to be cute. Case in point:

I said that you are "still delusional if you think the current #5 ranked Pakistani Test team can compete with the #1 ranked Indian Test team."

No doubt there was a big Indo-Pak rivalry in the past, and many Indians still consider it to be their biggest rivalry. My point is simple, a rivalry cannot continue based on arguments about which team is better. It has to be settled on the field, and that isn't happening for the foreseeable future. At best the rivalry has been reduced to who has a higher Test ranking, and the occasional LOI game.

India on the other hand plays Australia in all 3 formats regularly, and if they remain the 2 strongest Test sides they will have the natural rivalry for the top spot.

You are talking about two strongest sides, natural rivalry now. Does that mean Ind vs Aus rivalry will end when team goes down the ranking table? Have you ever heard about Liverpool vs Man Utd rivalry? It will never end. Same is the case with India vs Pakistan rivalry. The less these two teams play the bigger the rivalry will become.

 

[street cricketer]

General questions. What would Aussie fans prefer, an away Ashes win or a series win in India? Where does the 2004 final frontier win in India rank among Aus cricket successes in the last 30 or so years? What is the biggest prize for Aussie cricket community, test success or ODI WC win?

Would the answers to above questions change if asked to wider Aussie public, and not just passionate cricket fans?

This is easy. Every Australian would pick an away Ashes win. In fact, most Australians would pick a home Ashes win over an away India series win, not because they don't value a series win in India, but because they hate losing/not winning against the English

 

[street cricketer]

India and Australia have been the 2 strongest teams in Test cricket in the past 2 decades. Updating the table [MENTION=140806]jnaveen1980[/MENTION] to the current date we have:

View attachment 113661

It should be obvious that Australia is far ahead of all other teams other than India.

Going forward the signs are that Australia and India will remain the two strongest teams the next few decades. There is a natural rivalry in any sport between the #1 and the #2 teams. That is the future of Test cricket.

Geez look at New Zealand's win loss ratio..

 

[James]

No more posts will be edited, next time they will be deleted. Tone it down plz.

 

[Aman]

It's not a rivalry by any definition. It's just two competitive sides that have a recent history (15-20 years) of having some really good contests. There are only 3 genuine rivalries in world cricket - the Ashes, Indo vs Pak and the Trans-Tasman rivalry. That's it. The other match up that has a possible good case for rivalry status is Australia vs South Africa.

There isn't much of a trans-tasman rivalry in cricket. Aus are too dominant and don't see us as rivals or on their level. It's 1 world championship vs 6.

It's like the trans-tasman rivalry in rugby, a lot of hype but we're too dominant and our biggest rivals are SA. That's the matches fans most look forward too. A lot of NZ rugby fans don't see Aus the same or as big rivals likewise Australian cricket fans and us.

 

[Aman]

There isn't much of a trans-tasman rivalry in cricket. Aus are too dominant and don't see us as rivals or on their level. It's 1 world championship vs 6.

It's like the trans-tasman rivalry in rugby, a lot of hype but we're too dominant and our biggest rivals are SA. That's the matches fans most look forward too. A lot of NZ rugby fans don't see Aus the same or as big rivals likewise Australian cricket fans and us.

These days England are probably our biggest rivals in cricket given recent history

Games are usually great too.

 

[IMMY69]

Pakistan has managed to rise to #5 in Test rankings after beating world power Bangladesh.

View attachment 113660

Tests aren't T20 where a team can get lucky. Non-delusional people know that an India Pakistan Test series will end the same way Pakistan's last Test series in Australia. The gap is simply too large.

Between 2010 and 2018 Pakistan remained unbeaten in Tests at home and that too in the UAE.
We had arguably two of the best players of spin in the side and one who has a double century in India.
So India beating Pakistan between 2010 and 2018 was not a forgone conclusion, not by a million miles.

Since 2018 we have been a developing side and only in the last year or so have started playing our matches at home. Even with an inexperienced side we gave England a run for their money in their own backyard and really should have won that series. The one concluded game went right down to the wire.

I don't see how you can just assume that Pakistan would roll over to India. It's just illogical to assume that.

Moving forward, we have young emerging players. Potentially some very good batsmen, arguably the best keeper batsmen in the world and some threatening fast bowlers and spinners...
India on the other hand have raging opener who is already skipping series and a captain who is arguably past his peak. So an argument can be made both ways.

If Pakistan was not India's greatest rivalry then you could use your absurd theory to argue that Pakistan should have refrained from playing India in the 80's and most of 90's as Pakistan was beating India home and away during that time.

Anyway, what I have written is just based on assumptions, the test as they say is in the pudding.
However, one thing that cannot be denied is that the passion, the support a test series between the two nations would bring would be unparalleled and no other series between any other nations would compare.

 

[jnaveen1980]

This is easy. Every Australian would pick an away Ashes win. In fact, most Australians would pick a home Ashes win over an away India series win, not because they don't value a series win in India, but because they hate losing/not winning against the English

Australians value every win. That is the reason why they were dominating in the 2000s. They are ultra competitive in all the matches. Only place where i see them not focusing too much is in T20 internationals. They send some C team D team to tour. Now that they have won something, may be they will take it seriously. England on the other hand trivializes other losses by acting like Ashes is the only series that matters.

 

[Buffet]

Rivalry or no rivalry, Ind and Aus have produced fascinating and competitive cricket against each other in the last 20 years. This can't be said about most teams.

 

[Buffet]

India and Australia have been the 2 strongest teams in Test cricket in the past 2 decades. Updating the table [MENTION=140806]jnaveen1980[/MENTION] to the current date we have:

View attachment 113661

It should be obvious that Australia is far ahead of all other teams other than India.

Going forward the signs are that Australia and India will remain the two strongest teams the next few decades. There is a natural rivalry in any sport between the #1 and the #2 teams. That is the future of Test cricket.

W/L is close to 1 against Ind and the second closest to 1 is SA. Even without looking at these stats, we knew that India and Aus have produced the most competitive cricket in the last 20 years and then followed by SA and Aus.

Give it whatever name, but everybody wants to see competitive cricket played between two top teams.

 

[Buffet]

Teams can lose series, but as long as they compete, it is fun to watch. Aus lost in India, but the series was extremely competitive. Another example, Indians losing 1-3 to Eng in Eng, but the series was competitive.

Now, if visiting teams show no fight and simply go through motion in the entire series for an inevitable result then it does not attract much interest.

 

[James]

England on the other hand trivializes other losses by acting like Ashes is the only series that matters.

This view is outdated, it’s certainly not been the case since Root and Morgan took the captaincy reigns across the formats and there is little to no evidence that this attitude still exists.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Rivalry or no rivalry, Ind and Aus have produced fascinating and competitive cricket against each other in the last 20 years. This can't be said about most teams.

Fair share of controversies. Umpiring, monkeygate, many sledging controversies, on-air, off the air controversies. Even commentators were the source of controversy. Sunil gavaskar made some tasteless remark about David hookes death. Many felt having the series named after him (Border-Gavaskar trophy) he should not have made such a remark. Chanting against Symonds at Mumbai. Haydo's comment about India. Ganguly deliberately going in for toss late.

 

[jnaveen1980]

This view is outdated, it’s certainly not been the case since Root and Morgan took the captaincy reigns across the formats and there is little to no evidence that this attitude still exists.

LOI format is not part of the Ashes. I agree England has set a standard for themselves in shorter format. But in Tests neutrals can sense they spend way too much energy on "preparing" for the Ashes.

 

[Technics 1210]

Australia offers VISAs for Indians, Indians offer IPL contracts to Australians.

Muppets will call this a rivalry, reality calls this quid-pro-quo.

 

[wrongun]

General questions. What would Aussie fans prefer, an away Ashes win or a series win in India? Where does the 2004 final frontier win in India rank among Aus cricket successes in the last 30 or so years? What is the biggest prize for Aussie cricket community, test success or ODI WC win?

Would the answers to above questions change if asked to wider Aussie public, and not just passionate cricket fans?

Casual fans- Ashes win.

More serious cricket fans- maybe split but right now I'd take a series win in India. So hard to come by. But I kind of don't like how the questions suggests I might have to diminish one to rate the other.

Last 30 years? So to '91... Rank it among successes...

#1 De throning of the WI at their home in '94/'95

#2 Final frontier '04 series. Just like beating WI was Borders unfinished business, this was S Waughs unfinished business. Both mark new eras. Both came right following a previous epic series vs the same opponents that went the other way (WI in Oz 91/92, Oz in India 2000/01).

#3 ODI WC wins

ODI WCs are nice. They are celebrated. I thought the 1999 WC was some of the best cricket I've seen. But the major milestone Test wins are bigger, they come along literally once a generation.

General public probably put an Ashes wins higher. Just because that's the one with the hype & even if you don't know cricket, you know we want to beat the English.

 

[Aman]

For the Ashes to continue to be greater than the Australia-India rivalry, England has to at least win a few matches in Australia. If their poor performance continues, the Ashes won't remain the premier rivalry for the Aussies.

View attachment 113645

Tbf Warner and Smith are shell of themselves these days.

I expected to come back as their dominant best but purely from what I've seen here and there, they're no longer the same who players who use to feast during the home summer.

 

[Napa]

You are talking about two strongest sides, natural rivalry now. Does that mean Ind vs Aus rivalry will end when team goes down the ranking table? Have you ever heard about Liverpool vs Man Utd rivalry? It will never end. Same is the case with India vs Pakistan rivalry. The less these two teams play the bigger the rivalry will become.

There is obviously a difference between 2 Premier League clubs and two countries. Clubs move up and down depending upon their finances and the players they are able to sign. Countries which have a talent pool and a system to financially support their domestic system remain strong. In football, countries like Brazil, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Argentina etc. remain contenders for decades because they have a talent pool and a good domestic system. Cricket is played by a lot fewer countries compared to football, and it appears that Australia and India will dominate Test cricket for the next few decades.

I don't agree that the India Pakistan rivalry will become bigger due the the two countries playing each other infrequently. Right now I am thinking about the Indian team finally winning a series in SA rather than wondering what would have happened if India played Pakistan.

 

[Napa]

Tbf Warner and Smith are shell of themselves these days.

I expected to come back as their dominant best but purely from what I've seen here and there, they're no longer the same who players who use to feast during the home summer.

A bit of a cop out from you after having repeatedly proclaimed that Australia would thrash India with Smith and Warner.

Also, not sure why you think Warner is a shell of what he used to be. He just scored 94 against England.

 

[Napa]

Rivalry or no rivalry, Ind and Aus have produced fascinating and competitive cricket against each other in the last 20 years. This can't be said about most teams.

That's sort of my point. I am not saying that the Aus-Eng and Ind-Pak rivalries are not important.

I am saying that with time these rivalries will become less important if England doesn't compete in Australia, and India doesn't play Pakistan along with Pakistan falling in rankings due to bad performances elsewhere.

On the other hand, if India and Australia remain the two most dominant Test teams, and also produce competitive series then naturally interest and rivalry will grow.

 

[Napa]

Between 2010 and 2018 Pakistan remained unbeaten in Tests at home and that too in the UAE.
We had arguably two of the best players of spin in the side and one who has a double century in India.
So India beating Pakistan between 2010 and 2018 was not a forgone conclusion, not by a million miles.

Since 2018 we have been a developing side and only in the last year or so have started playing our matches at home. Even with an inexperienced side we gave England a run for their money in their own backyard and really should have won that series. The one concluded game went right down to the wire.

I don't see how you can just assume that Pakistan would roll over to India. It's just illogical to assume that.

Moving forward, we have young emerging players. Potentially some very good batsmen, arguably the best keeper batsmen in the world and some threatening fast bowlers and spinners...
India on the other hand have raging opener who is already skipping series and a captain who is arguably past his peak. So an argument can be made both ways.

If Pakistan was not India's greatest rivalry then you could use your absurd theory to argue that Pakistan should have refrained from playing India in the 80's and most of 90's as Pakistan was beating India home and away during that time.

Anyway, what I have written is just based on assumptions, the test as they say is in the pudding.
However, one thing that cannot be denied is that the passion, the support a test series between the two nations would bring would be unparalleled and no other series between any other nations would compare.

Not sure about the logic of Pakistan playing India when they were stronger due to rivalry. It would appear that a country would want to play when it feels it can win, rather than lose.

I mostly agree with the rest of what you say, especially the proof being in the pudding. I do think that India's domestic system has improved tremendously over the last 2 decades and is now producing better batsmen and bowlers.

I agree "test series between the two nations would bring would be unparalleled and no other series between any other nations would compare" but non cricketing reasons will not allow it to happen. In the meantime we have to work with the rivalries with nations that we play against.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Casual fans- Ashes win.

More serious cricket fans- maybe split but right now I'd take a series win in India. So hard to come by. But I kind of don't like how the questions suggests I might have to diminish one to rate the other.

Last 30 years? So to '91... Rank it among successes...

#1 De throning of the WI at their home in '94/'95

#2 Final frontier '04 series. Just like beating WI was Borders unfinished business, this was S Waughs unfinished business. Both mark new eras. Both came right following a previous epic series vs the same opponents that went the other way (WI in Oz 91/92, Oz in India 2000/01).

#3 ODI WC wins

ODI WCs are nice. They are celebrated. I thought the 1999 WC was some of the best cricket I've seen. But the major milestone Test wins are bigger, they come along literally once a generation.

General public probably put an Ashes wins higher. Just because that's the one with the hype & even if you don't know cricket, you know we want to beat the English.

Great insights mate.

Expected WI 1995 to be at the top of your list, pivotal series in cricket history and really kickstarted Australia's era of dominance. Sadly the once fearsome WI just went down after that loss, never to recapture their amazing highs of 1976-1995.

 

[wrongun]

Great insights mate.

Expected WI 1995 to be at the top of your list, pivotal series in cricket history and really kickstarted Australia's era of dominance. Sadly the once fearsome WI just went down after that loss, never to recapture their amazing highs of 1976-1995.

Yeah Walsh and Ambrose just didn't have quite the consistent support after that. But they didn't go down quietly- we played them every 2nd/3rd year those days ($$$) and both the test series (4 & 5 tests each!) were amazingly close- 5-4 test wins from 9, no draws, a 3-2 in '96/'97 and a 2-2 in '98/'99 when Lara & S Waugh went run for run- so West Indies didn't die in a heap. Walsh & Amby were still magnificent. Lara hit his stride. Chanders was under-rated. Honestly if they'd have had ONE of Greenidge or Haynes in that 5 year period they'd have probably won the trophy back.

 

[wrongun]

Great insights mate.

Expected WI 1995 to be at the top of your list, pivotal series in cricket history and really kickstarted Australia's era of dominance. Sadly the once fearsome WI just went down after that loss, never to recapture their amazing highs of 1976-1995.

I could probably have thrown the 93/94 series v SA. Just for personal significance.
Oz vs SA in cricket, rugby, netball, hockey- all a thing. We were kind of kindred colonies so our sporting rivalries and situations at "the ends of the earth" all matched up.

First test match I ever attended, that SCG match. I saw the day where McDermott & Warne got wickets. I realised half the fun was the fans in the ground, the fans on the bus rides to & from & all the rest.
But we lost the match in the end.

Didn't matter. It was Test matches for me from then on (hey, I support all formats, but I do like Tests).

 

[Cricfan4eva]

India-Australia rivalry doesn’t exist.Australia’s rivalry is the Ashes.India and South Africa have played a few good test matches with Australia but it is ridiculous to call it a rivalry.Australia and West Indians had a sort of rivalry from mid 70s to late 80s but that was all about being the best team team.West Indies were superior in bowling.

I don't know what you mean by rivalry. To me it is a contest that is highly competitive and something that is much more special than any other ordinary contest between other 2 sides.

India taking on Aus in tests, is definitely one of the most elite contests in test cricket right now as against any other 2 sides taking. Be it Aus-Eng or Ind-Eng or SA-Aus/Eng.

You can disagree but numbers don't lie. Aus-Ind had record broadcasting numbers for Fox last summer. Let's see if Ashes can beat that. Ashes has history, I'll give you that. Indo-Pak has history too but an Indo-Pak test series won't really excite many.

Whereas Indo-Pak ODI/T20I is another story. Historically too apart from that Chennai test or 2004 series, India-Pak don't really have memorable test matches/series.

 

[Cricfan4eva]

This view is outdated, it’s certainly not been the case since Root and Morgan took the captaincy reigns across the formats and there is little to no evidence that this attitude still exists.

Root did say Ashes will define his captaincy legacy. And tbh it is the way for Aus/Eng captains. While a win in Asia is something they try really hard for, they know they will be judged ultimately post retirement on Ashes results.

 

[Napa]

Australia 473/9d England 17/2

Australia is handing out a thrashing almost at the same level they handed out to Pakistan. James was right, there is no sympathy exhibited in this contest!

 

[NishanKonar]

I seriously wonder whether Australian cricket loving public enjoys these one sided hammerings of England at home . Even the most hardcore Aussie fans will lose interest with such listless Ashes events

Border-Gavaskar trophy is the new Frank Worrel series of the 80s & 90s. Not traditional rivalry but definitely the most competitive series in Australia

 

[James]

I seriously wonder whether Australian cricket loving public enjoys these one sided hammerings of England at home . Even the most hardcore Aussie fans will lose interest with such listless Ashes events

Not sure really, the Aussies fans who I know and who I’ve spoken to over the years are huge cricket fans and they love seeing a good contest, but they also love thrashing the English & they don’t ever seem to get bored of doing so.

England fans love the Ashes across the board, no exceptions.

 

[wrongun]

Not sure really, the Aussies fans who I know and who I’ve spoken to over the years are huge cricket fans and they love seeing a good contest, but they also love thrashing the English & they don’t ever seem to get bored of doing so.

England fans love the Ashes across the board, no exceptions.

I find you pretty much have to reach the point of England NEVER winning an Ashes series in your living memory before fans start to wish for closer series or even England winning/doing well.

I started watching cricket in '88 summer (Curtly Ambrose was my idol). Basically took until 99/2000 before I started getting sick of watching England lose- just wished they'd get a bit closer/play better. But whenever they did, Waugh or Warne killed them. Or McG. Started to get repetitiive.. Even then it took until 2005 when they had a team I genuinely LIKED, full of box office performers like Jones, Freddie, KP, Harmison (quick, hostile, bouncy).

 

[Napa]

You are talking about two strongest sides, natural rivalry now. Does that mean Ind vs Aus rivalry will end when team goes down the ranking table? Have you ever heard about Liverpool vs Man Utd rivalry? It will never end. Same is the case with India vs Pakistan rivalry. The less these two teams play the bigger the rivalry will become.

I see that you are still being evasive about your past statement "Warner didn't even play against India in first two tests. Ashes is certainly bigger for both these teams."

 

[street cricketer]

Quick question to posters. Completely forgetting about the politics or tradition side of things, if people want to watch one contest in cricket that is the most fiercely contested on field (no one sided games) between two teams, which contest would they opt to watch?

For example, in Tennis terms, I would want to watch Nadal vs Djokovic because I think those two players push the level of tennis to the highest level physically and mentally possible. In football it'd be Manchester City vs Liverpool. Or PSG vs Bayern maybe. Barca and Madrid are traditional rivals, but right now Barca are so weak while Madrid isn't that great, so the level of football wouldn't be as high as when the likes of Iniesta, Messi, Xavi, Ronaldo, Casillas, Ramos etc were playing. So I don't think the El Clasico would be as exciting to watch even if their rivalry is very historic.

In the same way, in cricketing terms, which is the contest that people would love to watch the most in Test cricket?

 

[Last Monetarist]

Quick question to posters. Completely forgetting about the politics or tradition side of things, if people want to watch one contest in cricket that is the most fiercely contested on field (no one sided games) between two teams, which contest would they opt to watch?

For example, in Tennis terms, I would want to watch Nadal vs Djokovic because I think those two players push the level of tennis to the highest level physically and mentally possible. In football it'd be Manchester City vs Liverpool. Or PSG vs Bayern maybe. Barca and Madrid are traditional rivals, but right now Barca are so weak while Madrid isn't that great, so the level of football wouldn't be as high as when the likes of Iniesta, Messi, Xavi, Ronaldo, Casillas, Ramos etc were playing. So I don't think the El Clasico would be as exciting to watch even if their rivalry is very historic.

In the same way, in cricketing terms, which is the contest that people would love to watch the most in Test cricket?

It's easily Australia vs India for me, maybe England vs India second.

 

[Mesozoic]

In the same way, in cricketing terms, which is the contest that people would love to watch the most in Test cricket?

India vs Pakistan. Easily.

It's been 14 years. I'll pay even 10X than normal to go and watch an IndoPak test match here here at the Chinnaswamy. Not sure I'd do that for Australia or England.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Quick question to posters. Completely forgetting about the politics or tradition side of things, if people want to watch one contest in cricket that is the most fiercely contested on field (no one sided games) between two teams, which contest would they opt to watch?

For example, in Tennis terms, I would want to watch Nadal vs Djokovic because I think those two players push the level of tennis to the highest level physically and mentally possible. In football it'd be Manchester City vs Liverpool. Or PSG vs Bayern maybe. Barca and Madrid are traditional rivals, but right now Barca are so weak while Madrid isn't that great, so the level of football wouldn't be as high as when the likes of Iniesta, Messi, Xavi, Ronaldo, Casillas, Ramos etc were playing. So I don't think the El Clasico would be as exciting to watch even if their rivalry is very historic.

In the same way, in cricketing terms, which is the contest that people would love to watch the most in Test cricket?

Given the recent tussles, India vs Australia for me. Australia were competitive last time in India as well, and lost 2-1. I feel Aussies are well prepared this time to challenge Indians and will be a great tussle to watch.
Smith and Labu will be key batting wise, and Lyon and Cummins.

Before 2016 it was Australia vs SA for me.

 

[Rajdeep]

What an amazing rivalry Ashes is and what a nail biting series this is turning out to be.

 

[Pakhs]

It depends on who you ask if asking an Australian and Englishmen the Ashes will forever be No.1. If you are asking an Indian well it varies depending on their mood they may say their series against Australia / Pakistan / England/ NZ etc

Now a days NZ v India rivalry is a good one, SA v Pakistan are usually good matched too.

 

[dravidthewall]

India vs Australia in Australia . Very entertaining one.

 

[Ab Fan]

In terms of quality of the games, it is India vs Australia.

In terms of nonsensical talks in media and usual unnecessary hamming on twitter and creating memes before the games, it is India vs Pakistan.

 

[Mirpur express]

Naa don’t think so but the biggest rivalry to be would have to be Pakistan v India especially in white ball cricket as we don’t play tests anymore.

 

[MenInG]

Ashes rivalry going down the drain at this rate!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Ashes losing it's competitive edge.<br><br>England last 16 Tests versus Australia:<br><br>Won 2<br>Lost 11<br>Drawn 3<br><br>England last 15 Tests in Australia:<br><br>Won 0<br>Lost 13<br>Drawn 2<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvENG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvENG</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1482769658784755716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Markhor]

Border-Gavaskar trophy is the new Frank Worrel series of the 80s & 90s. Not traditional rivalry but definitely the most competitive series in Australia

I think that's a better comparison than the Ashes.

WI-AUS had an incredible run of hard fought and dramatic series in the 1990s. WI won in 1992-93 by the skin of their teeth before AUS finally turned the tide in 1995 and 1996/97. Then arguably the greatest Test series of all time in 1999 when WI produced one last heroic effort before Australia emphatically grasped the mantle.

And there was plenty of needle like we see between IND-AUS now.

 

[ElRaja]

people getting rivalries and competitiveness confused, the whole point of a rivalry is that even if the game is fundamentally not competitive it doesnt matter, its still important to both sets of fans.

theres are only two real rivalries in cricket, ashes and pak v ind, the rest come and go, much like aus-wi, which was a top drawer attraction in its day but meant nothing once windies fell away.

eng can get hammered in aus ashes after ashes, and itll still be the most important series for both sets of fans.

if somehow both pak and ind make it to the wtc final, i have no doubt itll be the most watched test match in history.

 

[Buffet]

people getting rivalries and competitiveness confused, the whole point of a rivalry is that even if the game is fundamentally not competitive it doesnt matter, its still important to both sets of fans.

theres are only two real rivalries in cricket, ashes and pak v ind, the rest come and go, much like aus-wi, which was a top drawer attraction in its day but meant nothing once windies fell away.

eng can get hammered in aus ashes after ashes, and itll still be the most important series for both sets of fans.

if somehow both pak and ind make it to the wtc final, i have no doubt itll be the most watched test match in history.

+1

Quality of cricket, yes. India and Aus have produced the best quality cricket in the last 20-25 years. It was true even when Aus had their ATG team.

Eng and Aus is another level in rivalry. Aus fans will happily watch meaningless last 2 tests after being up 3-0 against Eng. I don't think the level of interest will be the same if Aus was up by 3-0 against India and two more tests were coming. Maybe they can in the next series due to losing twice at home against India, but it won't hold true for a longer period.

 

[Bhaijaan]

We are back at jt again.

The two greatest cricket nations.
The biggest rivalry in cricket (after Bharat vs Pakistan)

 

[dravidthewall]

When India faced australia , the match will be close and go down to wire. Not like one sided affair.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

TEST CRICKET IN THE LIMELIGHT AS AUSTRALIA-INDIA RIVALRY GROWS

Cricket Australia (CA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are delighted the storied rivalry between the countries will get even bigger next summer as Test cricket continues to thrive.

The first men’s five-match NRMA Insurance Test series between Australia and India since 1991-92 will be a highlight of the 2024-25 international schedule to be announced in coming days.

The extension of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for this and future series recognises the standing of the nations which contested the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final as well as their enduring commitment to the game’s preeminent international format.

India’s supporters flocked to the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia in huge numbers and the extended tour will provide a wonderful opportunity for fans across the country, including Australia’s growing Indian communities, to see the star-studded Australian and Indian teams in action.

Test cricket attracted more than one million viewers on linear and streaming services for 29 sessions this summer, while more than 9.5 million viewers tuned in to Star Sports, the official broadcaster of Australian cricket in India, for the three-Test series against Pakistan.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series is expected to attract even greater numbers with eyes glued to the much-anticipated series.

Mr Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary BCCI, said:

“The BCCI remains steadfast in its dedication to preserving the rich heritage of Test Cricket, a format we hold in the highest esteem.

“Our ongoing collaboration with Cricket Australia in extending the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to five Tests underscores our collective commitment to nurturing and elevating Test cricket's significance.

“This extension echoes our shared vision to amplify the essence of Test cricket and uphold its legacy. As India and Australia, come together, we anticipate an enthralling spectacle that will captivate fans worldwide with its intensity and excitement."

Mike Baird, CA Chair, said:

“We are absolutely delighted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been extended to five Tests given the intense rivalry between our two great cricketing nations and the excitement this creates.

“The eyes of the cricket world will be on Australia and I’m confident Pat Cummins’ World Champion team can overcome the skill and depth of the Indian team who played so brilliantly to win the last two series here and reclaim the trophy.

“We’re grateful for the collaboration with the BCCI and I echo Mr Shah’s sentiments about the pre-eminence of Test cricket. We look forward to hosting their team, officials and fans throughout what will be a tremendous series and a highlight of a packed summer of cricket.”

 

[psyoptica]

'Pure Racism': Indians Insulted With "Where's Your Visa" Chants At MCG During India vs Australia Test

Indian cricket team fans were targetted by a section of the Australian crowd during the 4th Test in Melbourne last month.

'Pure Racism': Indians Insulted With "Where's Your Visa" Chants At MCG During India vs Australia Test

Indian fans were insulted with "where's your visa" chants at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Indian cricket team fans were targetted by a section of the Australian crowd during the 4th Test in Melbourne last month. A video of the incident has gone viral social media, amid the ongoing series-decider in Sydney. In the viral video, the Australian fans can be seen targetting the Indian fans with insulting chants at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, sparking outrage on social media. "Where's your visa," the local crowd can be heard as saying while referring to the Indian fans.

While the video was recorded during the MCG Boxing Day Test last week, the footage has emerged on social media with India and Australia squaring off in the Sydney Test.

Here are some of the fan reactions:

Australia beat India by 184 runs in Melbourne to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The hosts need to avoid a defeat in the ongoing Test in Sydney to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014-15.

Meanwhile, the ongoing fifth Test in Sydney is evenly poised between India and Australia.

Rishabh Pant slammed the second fastest Indian Test half-century Saturday to drive his team to a 145-run lead with four wickets left after an intense day two.

At the close in Sydney, the visitors were 141-6 with Ravindra Jadeja on eight and Washington Sundar six after they dismissed Australia for 181 in reply to their first innings 185.

Pant signalled his intent by plundering a six on his first ball, and reached 50 after just 29 deliveries with another big shot that cleared the ropes.

Only his 28-ball half-century against Sri Lanka in 2022 was faster for India.

He was finally dismissed for 61 off 33 by Pat Cummins, but Scott Boland was India's main tormenter, taking 4-42.

Pant's exploits set up an exciting finale, with doubts over whether skipper Jasprit Bumrah will take any further part.

'Pure Racism': Indians Insulted With "Where's Your Visa" Chants At MCG During India vs Australia Test | Cricket News

Indian cricket team fans were targetted by a section of the Australian crowd during the 4th Test in Melbourne last month.

sports.ndtv.com

Both countries have some absolutely dumb supporters.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

'Pure Racism': Indians Insulted With "Where's Your Visa" Chants At MCG During India vs Australia Test

Indian cricket team fans were targetted by a section of the Australian crowd during the 4th Test in Melbourne last month.

'Pure Racism': Indians Insulted With "Where's Your Visa" Chants At MCG During India vs Australia Test

Indian fans were insulted with "where's your visa" chants at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Indian cricket team fans were targetted by a section of the Australian crowd during the 4th Test in Melbourne last month. A video of the incident has gone viral social media, amid the ongoing series-decider in Sydney. In the viral video, the Australian fans can be seen targetting the Indian fans with insulting chants at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, sparking outrage on social media. "Where's your visa," the local crowd can be heard as saying while referring to the Indian fans.

While the video was recorded during the MCG Boxing Day Test last week, the footage has emerged on social media with India and Australia squaring off in the Sydney Test.

Here are some of the fan reactions:

Australia beat India by 184 runs in Melbourne to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The hosts need to avoid a defeat in the ongoing Test in Sydney to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014-15.

Meanwhile, the ongoing fifth Test in Sydney is evenly poised between India and Australia.

Rishabh Pant slammed the second fastest Indian Test half-century Saturday to drive his team to a 145-run lead with four wickets left after an intense day two.

At the close in Sydney, the visitors were 141-6 with Ravindra Jadeja on eight and Washington Sundar six after they dismissed Australia for 181 in reply to their first innings 185.

Pant signalled his intent by plundering a six on his first ball, and reached 50 after just 29 deliveries with another big shot that cleared the ropes.

Only his 28-ball half-century against Sri Lanka in 2022 was faster for India.

He was finally dismissed for 61 off 33 by Pat Cummins, but Scott Boland was India's main tormenter, taking 4-42.

Pant's exploits set up an exciting finale, with doubts over whether skipper Jasprit Bumrah will take any further part.

'Pure Racism': Indians Insulted With "Where's Your Visa" Chants At MCG During India vs Australia Test | Cricket News

Indian cricket team fans were targetted by a section of the Australian crowd during the 4th Test in Melbourne last month.

sports.ndtv.com

Both countries have some absolutely dumb supporters.

Nothing racist about that. There seems to be hugh numbers of illegal migration from the subcontinent as it is.

Natives could well be concerned with all that.

 

[BCCI-Enforcer]

India support Australia economy a lot. Even the BGT is mainly successful because Indian money is involved. Without India Australia will not be the same.

More Australia are coming to India year on year and soon they will be coming to our cities and less Indians will travel there. So message to Aussies is don't be cocky or we can take the revenge soon.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Sunil Gavaskar is upset that he wasn’t called to hand over the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia:

“I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation. After all it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it is about Australia and India. I mean, I am here on the ground. To me it should not matter that Australia won when it comes to the presentation. They played better cricket so they won. That’s fine. Just because I am an Indian (I did not present the trophy). I would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border.”

 

[KingLiton]

Sunil Gavaskar is upset that he wasn’t called to hand over the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia:

“I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation. After all it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it is about Australia and India. I mean, I am here on the ground. To me it should not matter that Australia won when it comes to the presentation. They played better cricket so they won. That’s fine. Just because I am an Indian (I did not present the trophy). I would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border.”

SLM - Sunil's life matters

 

[Slim]

Sunil Gavaskar is upset that he wasn’t called to hand over the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia:

“I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation. After all it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it is about Australia and India. I mean, I am here on the ground. To me it should not matter that Australia won when it comes to the presentation. They played better cricket so they won. That’s fine. Just because I am an Indian (I did not present the trophy). I would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border.”

HAHAHAHAHAA THE JOKES WRITE THEMSELVES, no wonder sunny g was going bonkers in commentary with his comments. Stupid, stupid, stupeeeedddd. He takes his name on the trophy as matter of life and death.

 

[Ice Man]

Sunil Gavaskar is upset that he wasn’t called to hand over the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia:

“I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation. After all it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it is about Australia and India. I mean, I am here on the ground. To me it should not matter that Australia won when it comes to the presentation. They played better cricket so they won. That’s fine. Just because I am an Indian (I did not present the trophy). I would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border.”

Sheesh, how much can a man cry? Pretty weak from Sunil.

 

[Slim]

Sheesh, how much can a man cry? Pretty weak from Sunil.

Sunil is god damn embarrassing ngl

 

[sweep_shot]

Sunil Gavaskar is upset that he wasn’t called to hand over the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia:

“I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation. After all it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it is about Australia and India. I mean, I am here on the ground. To me it should not matter that Australia won when it comes to the presentation. They played better cricket so they won. That’s fine. Just because I am an Indian (I did not present the trophy). I would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border.”

Mr. Sunny should understand not everything revolves around India and Indians.

It is just a bilateral trophy. It is not a World Cup or anything. Anyone can hand it over to the winning team.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Sunil Gavaskar is upset that he wasn’t called to hand over the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia:

“I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation. After all it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it is about Australia and India. I mean, I am here on the ground. To me it should not matter that Australia won when it comes to the presentation. They played better cricket so they won. That’s fine. Just because I am an Indian (I did not present the trophy). I would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border.”

"Offended Sunil Gavaskar": Cricket Australia Blasted By Australia's World Cup Winning Captain For Border Gavaskar Trophy Snub

After Australia completed a 3-1 win over India in the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney on Sunday, controversy followed. The legendary Sunil Gavaskar expressed his displeasure after not being invited to present the trophy, named after him and Allan Border, to Australia following their win over India in the high-voltage five-match rubber. Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar trophy after 10 years with a six-wicket win over India in the fifth and final Test. Border presented the trophy to the home team but Gavaskar, despite being at the venue at the same time, was inexplicably ignored.

"I certainly would have loved to have been there for the presentation. After all it is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and it is about Australia and India," Gavaskar was quoted as saying by Code Sports.

"I mean, I am here on the ground. To me it should not matter that Australia won when it comes to the presentation. They played better cricket so they won. That's fine.

"Just because I am an Indian. I would have been happy to present the trophy with my good friend Allan Border," he added.

Now, Cricket Australia has been slammed by Michael Clarke, Australia's 2015 World Cup-winning captain.

"I just think Cricket Australia missed a trick. Now I know a lot of people don't know that it was planned before the series started, that if India were to win, Sunil Gavaskar would present the trophy. If Australia were to win, Alan Border would present the trophy. So it wasn't a surprise to those two guys. But to me, it just doesn't make sense. Like, they're both there," Michael Clarke said on ESPN's Around The Wicket.

"No matter who won, in my opinion, they both should have walked out, they both should have been on stage, they both should have presented the trophy. I think we're very lucky to have both Allan Border and Sunny Gavaskar in the country commentating at the right time. You don't get that very often. Both legends of the game that the trophy is named are still around and are in the country at the same time. So I just think we missed a trick there. I think it sounds to me that, you know, it obviously affected, it offended Sunny as well, and I can understand why. I think they both should have been on that stage presenting that trophy no matter who won."

NDTV

 

[Devadwal]

Mr. Sunny should understand not everything revolves around India and Indians.

It is just a bilateral trophy. It is not a World Cup or anything. Anyone can hand it over to the winning team.

He said the right things and nagin dance supporters should stayed way because Australia- India trophy is not about them.

The Border - Gavaskar trophy name includes great Sunil gavaskar so he should have handed the winning trophy alongwith Allen border.

 

[mominsaigol]

Australia has no rivals. Just silly marketing propaganda posted by desperate British + Indians.

Can't have rivals if you have no equal. Australia are like Greek gods whereas India and England are prometeus at best.

 

[Devadwal]

Wannabe Australia fan's opinion doesn't even count for the india- Australia rivalry. LoL

They can talk about Pakistan , pakistan domestic cricket ,Rizwan, Babar etc

 

[DeadlyVenom]

BGT was great fun as a neutral and the series was live until the final innings.

For fans of the sport it was a nice phase of cricket.

 

[Mamoon]

@captain.hansolo

The other thread is closed for replies, that is why I am addressing your comment here. You wrote that:

'Jesus Christ with that kind of reach I am sure you can scratch your left ear with your right hand from behind your head.

You could just examine attendance of events, viewership records and understand that the two richest cricket boards who also happen to have the top two teams in all formats would have a tense rivalry.'

Indians are quick to flex viewership and attendance because they know that they breed like rabbits and unfortunately, are spread all over the world in large numbers like parasite. There will always be a lot more viewership and attendance for India's matches.

I'm sure that there is more viewership and attendance for let's say, India vs Bangladesh than England vs New Zealand or England vs South Africa. Does that mean that India vs Bangladesh is a more important series than the above two examples?

India vs Australia is no better or worse than any other series. It is a forced rivalry. No Australian cricket would prefer beating India over winning the Ashes, therefore, the idea that it has usurped the Ashes as the biggest rivalry is laughable.

 

[Hellion]

Think PAK-BD will surpass it.

 

[RexRex]

The Ashes is not exactly sport .. it is not cricket. It is this bi-annual d-measuring contest that two aglo-saxon countries have as a cultural ritual.

Cricket writer Mike Marqusee defined it as such - 'The prestige of the Ashes in Britain has to do with pedigree, tradition, and lingering assumptions about Western supremacy. In recent years it has also bee re-enforced by the fact that Australia have been the best in the wold and so defeating them is a major achievement'

Source - https://www.pakpassion.com/component/exclusives/item/511.html

 

[Rafale Nidhal Fan]

this is the biggest rivalry in cricket now. Indian players finding new ways to cry on and off the pitch

in the picture below we can see a new rivalry was born in their last tour of South Africa where they starting arguing with a stump.

 

[Bewal Express]

No. This is a manufacturered rivalry. When Ind lose to Australia, whole familes aren't going be depressed for weeks, when Ind lose to Australia players are not going to get death threats. The Australian fans care even less and no one would lose sleep over the loss.