ICC World Cup 2019 | India Have Burden of History to Overcome in Blockbuster Clash Against Australia

8-3!

History favours Australia as they clash with India at The Oval on the 9th of June, Sunday in a highly anticipated World Cup 2019 encounter.

Australia have won as many as 8 of the 11 World Cup matches between the two sides. However, a couple of nail-biters in Chennai and Brisbane – Australia won both by one solitary run – could have gone either way and the head to head could well have been a more balanced 6-5.

The World Cup score-line between the two sides was tied at 2-2 after their first 4 encounters till the end of the 1987 edition in India and Pakistan. However, Australia dominated the next 4 editions (1992 to 2003) and beat India in 5 consecutive encounters.

We take a look at some interesting numbers in World Cup clashes between the two sides.

359 for 2: Highest Team Total – Australia (in Johannesburg in 2003)

289 for 6: Highest Team Total (India) - in Delhi in 1987

7: Total Number of Hundreds

2: Maximum Hundreds – Ricky Ponting

Ponting scored an unbeaten 140 off just 121 deliveries in Johannesburg in 2003 and then 104 off 118 deliveries in Ahmedabad in 2011.

Ajay Jadeja scored the only hundred registered by an Indian – 100 not out at The Oval in 1999

303: Maximum Aggregate – Ricky Ponting

101: Highest Average (min. 3 matches) – Ricky Ponting

51: Highest Average (India) – Ajay Jadeja

103.15: Highest Strike Rate (min. 50 runs) – Kapil Dev

10: Maximum Sixes – Ricky Ponting

9: Maximum Wickets – Kapil Dev

This included 5-43 in 12 overs in Nottingham in 1983

9.85: Best Bowling Average – Damien Fleming

3.43: Best Economy – Tom Hogan

Tom Hogan was a slow left-arm orthodox bowler who played the 1983 World Cup

3.54: Best Economy (India) – Balwinder Sandhu

6-39: Best Bowling Figures – Ken Macleay at Nottingham in 1983

Ken Macleay was a right-arm medium pacer who represented Australia in 16 ODIs between 1983 and 1987

Indian Victories:

1983, Chelmsford: Roger Binny and Madan Lal took 4 wickets each as India defended 247 bowling out Australia for 129.

1987, Delhi: Batting four down, Mohammad Azharuddin registered an unbeaten 54 off just 45 balls to help India post 289 for 6 in 50 overs. Sunil Gavaskar, Navjot Sidhu and Dilip Vengsarkar also notched up fifties.

Maninder Singh then dismissed Geoff Marsh, Dean Jones and Allan Border as Australia were bowled out for 233.

2011, Ahmedabad: Riding on Ponting’s hundred, Australia posted 260 for 6. Fifties by Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh saw India through with 5 wickets and more than 2 overs to spare.

While Australia have the upper hand in World Cup head to head encounters between the two sides, India have won 57 of the 87 matches they have played since World Cup 2015 and are the in-form team along with England (second-best win-loss ratio after England). Australia, in this period, have been poor winning just half of the 78 matches they have played.

However, it has been neck to neck in the last 10 matches between the two sides with both winning 5 games each.

Australia may have a psychological edge having beaten India 3-2 after being 0-3 down in the five-match series in India earlier this year.

With Australia in the ascendancy after having their worst year in ODI cricket in 2018, and India also showing no signs of relenting, we could be in for a humdinger in London on the 9^th.