Former Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir suggests that the intensity of the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry has diminished, citing the Men in Blue’s dominance across various formats as a contributing factor. Gambhir contends that the competition between India and Australia has grown more intense in recent years.
Due to political tensions between India and Pakistan, bilateral series between the two countries have been absent since the 2012-13 season. Their interactions have been restricted to ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup, with a tendency for these matches to be largely one-sided affairs.
Gautam Gambhir Reveals Current Best Rivalry
Conversely, Australia and the subcontinent giants have engaged in several closely contested matches in recent years.
During a show on Hotstar, Gambhir emphasized that, in the current era, Pakistan defeating the Men in Blue would be considered a significant upset. He said:
“Pakistan has dominated India a lot of times. Currently, if you see the level of both teams, India is far superior to Pakistan in all three formats. If Pakistan defeats India it’s an upset, if India defeats Pakistan, it’s very much given. India and Australia, from a cricketing point of view, is a top rivalry. If you ask a cricket fan what is the actual rivalry, they will also say India and Australia.”
Pakistan’s latest loss occurred against India in the 2023 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. After batting first, Pakistan experienced a collapse from 155-2 in 29.3 overs to 191/10 in 42.5 overs. India comfortably completed the chase with seven wickets in hand.
Australia demonstrated their supremacy over India in both the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final in England and the 2023 World Cup decider in Ahmedabad. During the WTC final at The Oval, Travis Head’s remarkable first-innings score of 163, coupled with Scott Boland’s impactful bowling, led to a convincing 209-run victory for the Aussies.
In the 2023 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Head once again played a crucial role, smashing a swashbuckling 137 off 120 deliveries. Australia’s disciplined bowling performance restricted the home side to 240, and Head’s century contributed significantly to the tourists’ six-wicket triumph.
