Australia has been a powerhouse in the cricket world for decades now. The Aussies have the oldest rivalry in cricket history with England, popularly called The Ashes. Also, they have won the most Cricket World Cups in history.
There was a time when defeating Australia in Test or ODI was considered a Herculean task. The Australians never allowed their opponents to dominate them in a game. It did not matter if the match was happening on their home soil or overseas, the Australian team always performed the best.
Talking about T20 cricket, the cricket universe can say that because of the game’s unpredictable nature, no team, not even Australia, has been able to dominate the format for a longer period. There have been quite a few bowlers who have been incredibly successful versus Australia in a T20I fixture played Down Under.
In this article, we will have a look at the top five best bowling figures against Australia in T20Is played in Australian conditions.
Yuzvendra Chahal – 3/25, 2020
Yuzvendra Chahal stands at the fifth position on this list because of his game-changing performance in a T20I against Australia recently. The right-arm leggie came in as a concussion substitute for Ravindra Jadeja in the Canberra T20I.
Chahal bowled a match-winning spell of 3/25 in his fours overs, picking up the crucial wickets of Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, and Matthew Wade. He played a vital role in giving India a 1-0 lead in the 3-match T20I series against Australia in the 2020/21 season.
Jasprit Bumrah – 3/23, 2016
Regarded as the best Indian all-format bowler right now, Jasprit Bumrah played his first T20I match against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in 2016. The right-arm quick impressed a lot on his debut by bowling a spell of 3/23. The Ahmedabad-based bowler dismissed David Warner, James Faulkner, and Cameron Boyce in the match.
Currently, he is among the top bowlers in the world. It goes without saying that Bumrah had shown signs of becoming a legendary bowler with his performance on debut in Adelaide four years ago.
Kyle Abbott – 3/21, 2014
Kyle Abbott is one of the many big names from South Africa who have left international cricket to play county cricket under a Kolpak deal. The right-arm quick was immensely talented, and he showed his talent against Australia in a T20I match played at the Adelaide Oval.
Abbott’s three-wicket haul included the wickets of Shane Watson, Nathan Reardon, and Ben Cutting as the Proteas restricted the home team to 144/6 in the first innings. Chasing 145, South Africa won the game in 19 overs thanks to Man of the Match Rilee Rossouw’s half-century.
Umar Gul – 3/20, 2010
Former Pakistan cricket team fast bowler Umar Gul was one of the best T20I bowlers of his time. The right-arm quick played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s success at the 2007 and the 2009 T20 World Cup events. Gul had bowled a career-defining spell versus Australia back in 2010 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In just 3.4 overs, Umar dismissed three Australian batsmen, namely Mitchell Johnson, Michael Clarke, and Shaun Tait as Pakistan bowled out the home side for just 127 runs. Surprisingly, the Men in Green fell short of the small target by two runs despite Kamran Akmal’s 33-ball 64.
Krunal Pandya – 4/36, 2018
It might surprise a few fans but Krunal Pandya is the only player to take a four-wicket haul in a T20I match versus Australia in Australia. The conditions Down Under favour the pace bowlers, but left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya troubled the Aussies with his spin.
The southpaw removed Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D’Arcy Short, and Alex Carey as India managed to stop Australia at 164 in the first innings. Skipper Virat Kohli’s half-century helped the visitors seal the deal in the last over.
