Shastri Declares India-Australia as Cricket’s Premier Modern Rivalry

Ravi Shastri, the former Indian coach and well-known commentator, has expressed his view that the dynamics of international cricket rivalries have evolved, with Australia now holding the position of India’s most intense on-field competitor, a spot formerly occupied by Pakistan.

During his appearance on the Stick to Cricket podcast, hosted by Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, Shastri stated that while the India-Pakistan match continues to draw significant global interest, the India versus Australia contests have become the sport’s most fiercely contested rivalry recently.

“I would say, during the years I played, it was India-Pakistan. The interest it generates from fans around the world is massive,” Shastri commented, emphasizing the historical significance of the matchup.

He further suggested that the India-Pakistan encounters surpassed even the Ashes series in terms of fervor and audience engagement.

Despite the infrequency of matches between India and Pakistan, limited to Asia Cup and ICC events due to ongoing political issues, these matches remain highly profitable for broadcasters, who often push for these teams to be scheduled against each other in major tournaments.

However, Shastri, drawing from his experiences as both a player and coach in the electrifying India-Pakistan clashes, emphasized how the intense rivalry between India and Australia has redefined competitive cricket.

“In the last 10 years, India-Australia has taken over. In pure cricketing terms, India, Australia, and England have had some fantastic series,” he added, highlighting the quality of cricket displayed in these contests.

A notable instance is the 2024 Boxing Day Test held in Melbourne as part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which set a new attendance record with 373,691 spectators, surpassing a record that had stood since 1936, during the era of Sir Don Bradman.

Notably, the last bilateral series between India and Pakistan took place in 2012-13, with their most recent Test match occurring in the 2007-08 season.

Historically, these two rivals have competed in 59 Test matches, with Pakistan winning 12, India securing 9 victories, and 38 matches ending in a draw.