Closest Finishes Between India and Australia (ODIs + T20Is)

In reply, India were on track at one stage with Navjot Sidhu (73) and Kris Srikkanth (70), but a series of wickets towards the end left the match hanging in the balance.

Chasing 2 runs off the final ball, Maninder Singh was bowled by Steve Waugh, leaving India all out for 269 — just one run short. The Australians celebrated a remarkable victory, while India started their home World Cup campaign in heartbreak. 

2. India beat Australia by 2 wickets – Bengaluru, 1996 Titan Cup

Nine years later, at the 1996 Titan Cup, India finally turned the tables in another tense finish. Chasing 216 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, India appeared comfortable until they collapsed to 164 for 6.

It was then that Sachin Tendulkar stepped up with a score of 88 off 111 balls, holding the innings together with calm precision. With tailenders running frantic singles and the crowd in a frenzy, India eventually reached home at 216 for 8, with seven balls remaining.

3. Australia beat India by 1 run – Brisbane, 1992 World Cup

The 1992 Benson & Hedges World Cup match at Brisbane was another classic that went down to the final delivery. Batting first, Australia scored 237/9, anchored by Dean Jones’ 90 and useful cameos from Steve Waugh and Tom Moody.

India’s reply was spirited. Mohammad Azharuddin scored a fluent 93, supported by Sanjay Manjrekar (47). But the game turned chaotic in the final overs.

India needed 3 runs off the last two balls, but a brilliant run-out by Allan Border and a cool finish from Tom Moody ensured India were bowled out for 234, losing by just one run under a revised 47-over target.

4. Australia beat India by 2 wickets (1 ball left) – Sydney, 2004 VB Series

The VB Series in early 2004 featured one of the most exciting ODIs ever played between these two sides. India amassed 296/4, thanks to Yuvraj Singh’s brilliant 139 and VVS Laxman’s elegant 106*.

Chasing a revised DLS target of 225 in 34 overs, Australia came out strongly. Adam Gilchrist hit 95 off 72 balls, while Ricky Ponting (42) and Michael Clarke (21) contributed.

But India fought back through Sourav Ganguly’s three wickets, and the match came down to the final over. Brett Lee held his nerve, hitting a boundary to seal victory with one ball to spare.

5. Australia beat India by 3 runs – Hyderabad, 2009

In one of the great one-man shows of modern cricket, Sachin Tendulkar delivered a masterful innings — yet still ended up on the losing side.

Chasing a formidable 351, India relied on Tendulkar’s 175 off 141 balls, an innings marked by bold stroke play and exceptional class. With Suresh Raina (59) providing support, India came agonisingly close before faltering in the final over, bowled out for 347.

Australia, led by Shaun Marsh (112) and Shane Watson (93), managed to escape with a 3-run victory. Despite the defeat, this match remains remembered as one of Tendulkar’s finest innings — proof that even greatness can sometimes fall just short.

Closest Finishes in T20Is 

1. India win off the last ball – Sydney, 2016

The final T20I of the 2016 series at Sydney was a tense, high-energy match. Australia, powered by Shane Watson’s unbeaten 124, set a formidable 197-run target.

In reply, India’s top order performed flawlessly — Rohit Sharma (52), Virat Kohli (50), and Suresh Raina (49)* combined to chase down the total off the very last ball, finishing at 200 for 3.

2. Australia win by 4 runs (DLS) – Brisbane, 2018

The 2018 Brisbane T20I was shortened to 17 overs per side due to rain but still delivered intense drama. Australia, captained by Glenn Maxwell (46), scored 158/4.

India’s chase started well with Shikhar Dhawan (76), but the middle order struggled. Despite a late effort from Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant, India fell four runs short under the DLS method, ending at 169/7.

3. India win by 2 wickets – Visakhapatnam, 2023

In one of the most exhilarating T20 finishes in recent memory, India chased down 209 runs in Visakhapatnam with just one ball to spare.

Australia’s Josh Inglis had earlier blasted 110, but India fought back through Ishan Kishan (58) and Suryakumar Yadav (80 off 42), whose fearless batting kept India in the game.

When wickets fell late on, Rinku Singh and Axar Patel steadied themselves, sealing victory by two wickets in a packed stadium roaring under the floodlights. 

4. Australia win off the last ball – Visakhapatnam, 2019

Cricket’s symmetry was on full display four years earlier at the same venue. In 2019, Australia chased down 127 off the last ball, winning by three wickets.

Nathan Coulter-Nile (3/26) had earlier restricted India to 126/7 before Glenn Maxwell (56) and D’Arcy Short (37) steered the chase. Jasprit Bumrah’s spell of 3/16 nearly turned the game around, but a boundary off the final ball sealed it for the visitors. 

5. India win by 6 runs – Bengaluru, 2023

In the decisive T20I of the 2023 series, India defended 160/8 to secure a tense six-run victory. Shreyas Iyer’s 53 anchored India’s innings, while Mukesh Kumar (3/32) and Ravi Bishnoi (2/29) performed well under pressure.

Australia fought till the very end, with Ben McDermott (54) leading the chase, but ultimately fell short at 154/8. It was a classic low-scoring thriller — a reminder that close finishes don’t always require 400 runs; sometimes, just composure and nerve suffice.

FAQs

The 1987 World Cup match in Chennai, where Australia beat India by 1 run, remains the closest ODI finish between the two.

The 2016 Sydney T20I, where India chased 198 on the last ball, and the 2019 Vizag T20I, where Australia won off the last ball, are the tightest T20 finishes.

Three times an India-Australia T20 match ended in a last-ball thriller, Australia claimed 2 victories while India secured 1.