India vs Pakistan remains iconic — but no longer the most competitive
In a wide-ranging and candid appearance on the Stick to Cricket podcast, former India head coach Ravi Shastri declared that the cricket world’s most iconic rivalry has evolved — with India vs Australia now eclipsing even the legendary India-Pakistan contests in terms of pure cricketing competitiveness.
“I would say, in the years I played, the biggest rivalry is India v Pakistan. The interest it generates from the outside is massive,” Shastri said, reflecting on the unmatched emotion and global attention the subcontinental clash commands.
While still the most-watched and commercially lucrative rivalry — with every ICC or ACC tournament seemingly engineered to feature an India-Pakistan fixture — political roadblocks have long since disrupted regular bilateral competition. The last full Test series between the two sides dates back to 2007-08, and their last bilateral contest of any kind was in 2012-13.
India vs Australia is the modern game’s fiercest battle
Despite the enduring cultural and emotional pull of India vs Pakistan, Shastri believes the game’s most intense cricketing rivalry has shifted Down Under.
“In the last 10 years, India-Australia has taken over. In pure cricketing terms, India, Australia, and England have had some fantastic series,” he said, pointing to the high-quality, closely fought contests in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy — now viewed by many as cricket’s premier Test battle.
The rivalry hit a new high during the 2024 Boxing Day Test at the MCG, when a record 373,691 fans attended across five days — a modern record that hadn’t been surpassed since the 1936 era of Don Bradman.
“This year, you’ve got record crowds into the MCG for Boxing Day. The largest number of people that came in since Don Bradman’s team in 1936,” Shastri noted.
He added, “Now, I think that The Ashes will get a lot of people, but to upstage that you have to have a great series and probably the best crowd ever.”
Ashes still draws, but India’s Tests against England heating up too
While praising the historical weight of the Ashes, Shastri acknowledged a shift in cricket’s global dynamics — particularly as England and India’s recent encounters have taken on new life.
With England leading 2-1 in their current series, Shastri credited Ben Stokes for swinging the momentum with resilience and leadership.
“If India had seized their moments it could have been 3-0 but England have shown a lot of character, first at Leeds, then again on the final day at Lord’s, where the captain put his hands up, bowled those long spells, put his neck on the line and pulled it off. It is set up beautifully,” he said.
Beyond the scoreboard, Shastri praised both captains, adding, “If you saw the two captains, Shubman Gill was having an outstanding series and Stokes was getting there.”
In fact, Shastri pointed to a subtle shift in Stokes’ approach earlier in the series: “You could almost sense at Edgbaston, he was preserving himself, wanting enough in the tank to go to Lord’s at full pelt.”
Rivalries evolve, but fans never forget
While the Ashes remains historic and India-Pakistan retains its unmatched aura, it’s clear the cricketing rivalry that now commands the highest standards and crowds is India vs Australia. The intensity, the drama, and the sheer quality of cricket — especially in Tests — have elevated the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to must-watch status.
Yet, as Shastri’s reflections show, rivalries are not static. They evolve — shaped by politics, performance, personalities, and packed stadiums.
And in today’s cricketing landscape, India-Australia isn’t just the fiercest rivalry on the field — it may well be the one that defines the sport’s future.
