From on-field provocations to verbal battles, the rivalry between India and Australia has been synonymous with intensity in cricket. However, it seems that something has changed in recent years. There was a time when the tension between both teams was about to come to blows. India’s tour to Australia in 2018-19 promised to be the most conflictive, but the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town marked a turning point. The subsequent series was marked by friendly banter, something very different from what we were used to seeing. Later, during the World Cup, India’s captain, Virat Kohli, asked Indian fans to stop booing Steven Smith, who was returning to the field after a suspension. Before the start of the 2020-21 test series, the question was whether this new respect between the teams would compromise the intensity of the matches.
A Change of Attitude
On the eve of the first match in Adelaide, Kohli explained that the best relationships are due to the players sharing many IPL matches, which allows them to get to know each other better. In addition, the protagonists of this story are now more mature and self-assured. After the Cape Town incident, Australia acknowledged its behavior and strived to find the balance between competitiveness and exemplary behavior. This year, many have reevaluated their priorities and realized how unnecessary certain tensions were. It’s a combination of all those factors. I think this year has also made people realize that many things might not have been necessary in the past, where you hold grudges and have unnecessary tension between teams and individuals, which is absolutely useless. Kohli added that the team focuses on the quality of cricket, setting aside personal attitudes. Although competition and aggression on the field will remain present, unnecessary actions have been filtered out. Kohli also acknowledged that Australia has to some extent changed its approach, influenced by the IPL and the global situation. He highlighted that there is now more respect between the teams. The captain emphasized that the game must remain competitive, but without compromising the quality of cricket. Players are maturing and making smarter decisions.
