Data Check: Five-time champions Australia are India’s bogey team in World Cups

India and Australia will face each other for the 137th time in One-day Internationals at The Oval in London on Sunday. Historically, this fixture has been an agonising one for the Indian fans; Australia have found a way to defeat the Men in Blue, whether it was home, away or at a neutral venue.

Australia have the momentum, having edged out India in a five-match ODI series during the build-up to the World Cup. With stalwarts David Warner, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc back in the side, the reigning champions have experience in their ranks as well. India have a good recent record against Aussies, though.

A keen contest is on the cards where India beat South Africa in their opening game in an emphatic manner. Australia, on their part, defeated West Indies from the jaws of defeat.

India’s World Cup woes

In World Cups, Australia have a commanding record against India, having lost only three matches. Two of those wins came during India’s World Cup wins – in 1983 and 2011. Kapil Dev’s side, after going down to a heartbreaking one-run defeat in the first group match of the Prudential 1987 World Cup, bounced back with a win at New Delhi.

Australia and India, overall, have faced each other in seven editions of the tournament. They crosses swords twice in a tournament on three occasions, in 1983, 1987 and 2003. Three of those matches were knockout games – the 2003 World Cup final, 2011 World Cup quarter-final and the semi-final at Sydney in 2015.

Even outside World Cups, India’s worst losing record is against the five-time world champions.
Out of the 136 times India and Australia have played, the former has a win percentage of 38.88, which includes 77 losses – quite easily their worst record.

India were comprehensively defeated in the 2003 World Cup final following a Ricky Ponting masterclass. Sourav Ganguly’s men were pumelled in the group stages in South Africa too, succumbing to a nine-wicket defeat.

Individual records

There is little surprise that batting legends Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting rule the roost in the batting charts. The Aussies, however, have managed to keep Tendulkar relatively quiet. The breezy 90 he scored at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in the 1996 remains his highest. In the six games he played, he managed to get only two fifties. Glenn McGrath dismissed him twice, in the 1999 and 2003 editions.

Two-time World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting managed to create some fond memories while playing against India, smashing two centuries. The swashbuckling unbeaten 140 in the final at Johannesburg in 2003 was followed by a steely ton at Ahmedabad in the 2011 quarter-final.

Ken MacLeay may not boast of a great international record but his six-wicket haul was instrumental in Australia thrashing India at Trent Bridge in 1983. Craig McDermott was also a thorn in India’s flesh on more than one occasion, playing an important part in India’s two one-run losses in 1987 and 1992.

World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev is India’s best by some distance. His best bowling display, 5/43, came in a losing cause in 1983. Dev was not in the wickets column in the second group game in ‘83 as Madan Lal and Roger Binny bowled India to a victory.

Among the frontline bowlers, Mitchell Starc is likely to be the sole survivor from the 2015 semi-final. The left-armer had two wickets to his name there.