Have India shaken Australia World Cup hoodoo?

Throughout the course of cricketing history, Australia have been a serious thorn in the side of many an opponent. Some epic tussles have been played out with Ashes adversaries England down the years, while neighbors New Zealand have been left cursing their luck in more recent times when looking to land a maiden white-ball title.

India have also endured their fair share of misfortune against the men from Down Under, with the Baggy Greens dashing collective dreams on more occasions than many care to remember.

Old rivalries are ready to be rekindled over the course of the next two years, with back-to-back global showpieces set to take place across 20 and 50-over formats. India are expected to go well in the first of those competitions, as 4.0 favorites in cricket betting at Betfair for ICC T20 glory in November. Cricket tips also have them as 3.5 market leaders for success on home soil at the 2023 World Cup.

Such a standing comes as no surprise given the wealth of options available to Rahul Dravid and the momentum and belief which has been established by a series of notable successes against fellow contenders for prestigious prizes.

There is, however, no escaping the fact that certain opponents would ideally be avoided when going in search of a first international triumph since 2011. The old saying goes that you have to beat the best in order to become the best, but certain paths to glory are a little easier than others.

Has the tide turned?

For a long time, Australia were the side that India feared running into the most. Across the first six meetings between two sporting superpowers on a World Cup stage, the Aussies emerged victorious on every occasion.

In 50-over cricket, they won by 162 runs at Trent Bridge in 1983, by a solitary run in 1987, emerged victorious in group encounters at 1992 and 1996 events, prevailed by 77 runs at the Super Six stage in 1999 and savored a crushing 125-run success in the 2003 final.

India also came unstuck by 95 runs in the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup, while slipping to heavy Super Eights defeats at the 2010 and 2012 T20 tournaments – with nine reversals suffered across 14 contests on the grandest of stages.

That tide has started to turn, though, and any success against Australia does tend to bode well. In 2007, with 20 overs apiece taken in, a semi-final victory was enjoyed en route to winning the whole thing, with a similar story played out in 50-over competition after edging out the Aussies in a quarter-final clash of 2011.

India also made the T20 World Cup final in 2014 after claiming a win over familiar foes at the group stage.

Australia were seen off again early on in 2016 and 2019, meaning that three successive World Cup wins have now been enjoyed.

Does that mean a hoodoo has been shaken, with a reversal in fortune allowing India to become the team that everybody wants to avoid? We will only find out when paths cross again with more major silverware up for grabs.