Down the memory lane: Six memorable India vs Australia ODI matches

IND vs AUS ICC World Cup 2023 final Undefeated India and fivetime champions Australia will clash in the ICC World Cup 2023 final at the worlds biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday MidDay takes a look at six unforgettable encounters between the two powerhouses of cricketDesert Storm April 22 1998Sachin Tendulkar unleashed his magic against Australia in Sharjah with a knock for the ages The batting great hit 143 off 131 balls to tear into the Australian bowling that included Damien Fleming Michael Kasprowicz and spin wizard Shane Warne After a sandstorm hit the city and suspended play for nearly half an hour Indias target was revised to 276 and they needed 235 to qualify for the final of the threenation event India fell short of the target but Tendulkars masterclass ensured they made the tournament decider on net run rate ahead of New Zealand the third team in the competition India went on to beat Australia in the final two days later with Tendulkar scoring another centuryRicky rules the roost March 23 2003Skipper Ricky Ponting and Australia reigned supreme in the World Cup final in Johannesburg when they hammered India by 125 runs to lift their third trophy after 1987 and 1999 Ponting hit an unbeaten 140 in Australias 3592 after openers Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist put on 105 inside 14 overs Ponting then shared an unbeaten 234run stand with Damien Martyn 88 to flay the Indian bowling with lead pacer Zaheer Khan taken for 67 runs in his seven overs The Indian batting was no match and were bowled out for 234 in 392 overs with Glenn McGrath picking three wicketsClose call November 5 2009Tendulkar kept up his form against Australia when he smashed 175 albeit in a losing cause in Hyderabad Ricky Pontings Australia posted a mammoth 3504 riding on big knocks from Shaun Marsh 112 and Shane Watson 93 but their bowlers withered under Tendulkars onslaught Despite Tendulkars 141ball blitz and 59 by Suresh Raina the rest of the batting collapsed and India fell short in the chase by three runs It was one of the amazing games and certainly one of the best innings ever from Sachin Ponting said afterwardsKnockout punch March 4 2011The heavyweights clashed in the quarterfinal of the 2011 World Cup in India and the hosts aced the knockout game despite Ricky Pontings 104 Chasing 261 for victory in Ahmedabad India rode on fifties by Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir before Yuvraj Singh anchored the chase with his unbeaten 57 The win buoyed India who went on to beat Pakistan in the semifinal and then Sri Lanka in the final to lift their second World Cup title after 1983 Man of the match Yuvraj said the pressure of playing against Australia was something elseAlso ReadCaribbean spirit in MumbaiBatting blitz October 13 2013In a run feast at Jaipurs Sawai Mansingh Stadium Virat Kohli stood tall with his unbeaten 100 off just 52 balls Indias top three bulldozed the Australian bowling in their successful chase of 360 with Rohit Sharma topscoring with an unbeaten 141 and putting on 176 runs with fellow opener Shikhar Dhawan 95 But Kohli grabbed the headlines with his blitz that included eight fours and seven sixes to flay the opposition attack led by Mitchell Johnson Skipper George Bailey now Australias chief selector later praised Indias awesome batting that eclipsed his own unbeaten 92Sweet revenge March 26 2015 Australia avenged their 2011 loss to India in Sydney four years later when they hammered MS Dhonis team by 95 runs in the World Cup semifinal courtesy of a Steve Smith century Smith smashed 105 off 93 balls to guide Australia to 3287 after skipper Michael Clarke elected to bat firstAlso ReadShamiinspired Himanshu claims 544The total proved more than enough as the Indian batting collapsed to 233 all out despite a fighting 65 by MS Dhoni James Faulkner took three wickets while fellow quicks Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc claimed two each Australia went on to humble New Zealand in the final for their record fifth World Cup crown