Desert storm, Eden enigma & Punter's prowess: The fierce India-Australia rivalry
World Cup and Champions Trophy, what still makes 50-over cricket relevant is the rivalry between top cricket-playing nations. If the India versus Pakistan rivalry set the temperature soaring because of the troubled histories of both nations, India versus Australia is another rivalry that is being fuelled by the quest to achieve excellence by both cricketing giants, especially in Test and ODI formats.
And their fans anticipate with bated breath every time these teams take on each other because these encounters often turn into edge-of-the-seat thrillers.
Ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup final, let's embark on a journey to revisit some of the iconic ODI and Test battles between two proud cricketing nations.
1998 'Desert Storm'
Before the events of April 1998, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar was known for his batting prowess and prodigious talent, but his unassuming on-field presence and docile approach never really elicited a belligerent response, even if the opposition bowlers had a go against him—sometimes verbally. But in a triangular series between India, Australia, and New Zealand in Sharjah, the latent aggression of Mumbaikar was unleashed in the most startling manner.
Sachin showed he could boss one of the fiercest Aussie bowling attacks, which had the likes of Damien Fleming, Shane Warne, and Michael Kasprowicz, who bore the brunt of his new avatar.
Sachin took the Australian bowlers to the cleaners at will, and the onslaught was later dubbed the 'Desert Storm in Sharjah.' He just went after the Australian attack as if his life depended upon it and tore them apart to amass 143 off 131 balls.
