• Home
  • Unheard Stories
  • What Happened When India Took On Australia In Their Own Den For The First Time In T20is

What happened when India took on Australia in their own den for the first time in T20Is?

Poulomi Chakraborty

India's first T20I encounter in Australia (Source: @CrickeTendulkar/x.com)India's first T20I encounter in Australia (Source: @CrickeTendulkar/x.com)

Life is boring without a bit of competition, and the game of cricket follows the same route. It’s the rivalries, those fierce yet fascinating duels, that inject adrenaline into the game. They’re the missing spice that transforms an ordinary match into an unforgettable spectacle.

In the book of rivalries, India-Pakistan or England-Australia often steal the spotlight, the India-Australia clash has its own fiery charm. Across formats, two giants of the cricketing world gifted some of the fiercest clashes to the fans.

After a gripping ODI showdown, India and Australia are set to rekindle their rivalry in a five-match T20I series. As the Men in Blue prepare to battle the Aussies on their home turf, memories of their first T20I clash still linger. Let’s relive the dawn of India-Australia’s T20I rivalries.

2008 - India steps onto Australian soil for maiden T20I challenge

The cricket arrived in the sporting world with the traditional Test format, but the best revolution of the game will ne undoubtedly be the T20I format. Though it arrived late, it quickly became the heartbeat of modern cricket. For India and Australia, who first crossed swords in Tests and later in ODIs, their long-awaited clash in the shortest format marked the beginning of a new era.

After its arrival, India met Australia first time in T20Is on the big stage of the T20 World Cup in 2007, and the tournament remained forever iconic in the history of Indian cricket, and their bilateral face-off came later this year. Their rivalry soon deepened, and a year later, the Men in Blue travelled for their maiden T20I series on Australian soil, marking the start of a new era in their fierce cricketing saga.

Melbourne witnesses a night of unforgettable cricket drama

During that match in 2008, both sides collided at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground, but the match became a forgettable one for the Men in Blue. While batting first, Team India faced some massive blows as the Aussie bowlers outplayed the Indian batters with their lethal bowling.

With Nathan Bracken’s crucial three wickets and the Aussie bowlers kept the domination alive. As top order batters faltered, Irfan Pathan scored a 30-ball 26, but Bracken removed him at a crucial time. With that, Team India ended their innings in just 74 runs.

In the cricket world, Australians are already unstoppable, and that night, they showcased their brilliance once again on their home soil. Chasing a small total of 75 runs, Adam Gilchrist played a knock of 25 runs in 22 balls, and Praveen Kumar dismissed him in the 8th over.

That dismissal didn’t bother them as they were close to glory. With an unbeaten 37-run knock, Australian captain Michael Clarke secured Australia’s dominating 9-wicket victory. MS Dhoni and Co. had a nightmare in their first-ever T20I clash on Aussie soil.

Over the years, pages turned over, players came and went, cricket changed, but the thrills of the classic rivalry grew with time. On October 29, another chapter of the classic rivalry will be written as both sides will clash on the big stage in a five-match Test series. The entire cricket is up for some unmissable T20I action on the Aussie turf.