India and Australia are two powerhouses of International cricket. Both have won multiple major international trophies and have had a phase where they dominated over every other opponent. In the list of similarities between the two sides is also their strong batting unit.
From Hayden-Gilchrist to Sachin-Sehwag, both the Kangaroos and Men in Blue have had legendary batsmen representing them for years. Quite understandably, we have seen some great knocks whenever these two sides have met.
Let us have a look at the top 5 highest individual scores in India-Australia T20Is:
1. Shane Watson – 124*
The opening pair of Shane Watson and David Warner has haunted the Indians for a considerable time in the past. The former owns the highest score in a T20I game between these two star-studded sides. The match was staged at Sydney.
Batting first, Australia lost Usman Khawaja early. But then came the time for Watson to show his class, and he did so in quite a fashion. While wickets kept falling at the other end, the all-rounder scored an unbeaten 124 from 71 deliveries, which helped Australia pile a total of 197. Unfortunately for them, it was not enough as Suresh Raina’s brilliance helped India chase it down.
2. Glenn Maxwell – 113*
Like Watson, Glenn Maxwell also unleashes the very best of him when he faces India. This match was played last year at Bengaluru. Batting first, India scored a mammoth total of 190. Captain Virat Kohli was the star with the bat for the hosts.
Chasing the total, Australia lost Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis inside the first 4 overs. It was looking very bleak for the Aussies, until Glenn Maxwell and D’Arcy Short formed a partnership. Maxwell scored 113 runs from just 55 deliveries, hitting 7 boundaries and 9 maximums in the process.
3. Virat Kohli – 90
The third mention on our list is the first entry from India. This match took place at Adelaide, way back in 2016. Batting first, India lost openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma inside the first 5 overs. The men in blue desperately needed a partnership.
It was provided by Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina. Together, the duo added 134 runs for the third wicket. Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 90 from 55 deliveries. His knock was comprised of 9 fours and also a couple of big hits.
4. Aaron Finch – 89
Australian skipper Aaron Finch scored a fantastic century against India yesterday, but it wasn’t the first time he dominated the Indian bowling unit. Back in 2013, he had done something similar when Australia traveled to Rajkot for a T20I.
Batting first, Finch provided Australia with a sublime start. The opening batsman scored 89 runs from 52 deliveries, which included 14 fours and a six. Banking on his knock, Australia managed to cross the 200-run mark. However, Yuvraj Singh played an even better knock as India chased the total down.
5. Virat Kohli – 82*
If only the T20Is are considered, Virat Kohli has arguably been India’s best batsman against Australia. This particular match was of immense importance, as it was a Super 10 clash of the ICC World T20 2016. Batting first, Australia scored a respectable 160.
Inside the powerplay, India lost both openers in Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. Virat Kohli steadied the ship again, this time with Yuvraj Singh by his side. He scored an unbeaten 82 from 51 deliveries, which included 9 fours. His knock helped India chase the total down with 5 deliveries to spare, and 6 wickets in hand.
