In cricket, Australia’s name is synonymous with dominance. And for obvious reasons.
No other team has quite dominated world cricket like Australia. The Aussies know how to bring out their best while facing any opponent, more so in ICC tournaments.
And no wonder Australia are the most successful team in ICC tournaments. They have clinched the ODI World Cup six times, the Champions Trophy twice, and the T20 World Cup and the World Test Championship once each.
Now, most of you know this very well. But did you know that Australia won 15 consecutive matches in ICC events?
This is the most number of matches a team has won in a row in ICC tournaments, which clearly depicts Australia’s superiority in these multi-team competitions.
And this piece will glance at Australia’s dominance in ICC tournaments between 2006 and 2007.
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ACF 24: Adam Gilchrist Scored All 16 ODI Centuries in Wins
ACF 25: Highest Partnerships by No. 10 and 11 Batters in Test Cricket
ACF 26: When Australia Won 15 Consecutive Matches in ICC Tournaments
Australia’s Longest Winning Streak in ICC Tournaments
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Result | Venue | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENG (169/10) | AUS (170/4) | AUS won by 6 wkts | Jaipur | 21 Oct 2006 | Champions Trophy |
| IND (249/8) | AUS (252/4) | AUS won by 6 wkts | Mohali | 29 Oct 2006 | Champions Trophy |
| AUS (240/9) | NZ (206/10) | AUS won by 34 runs | Mohali | 1 Nov 2006 | Champions Trophy |
| WI (138/10) | AUS (116/2) | AUS won by 8 wkts (DLS Method) | Brabourne | 5 Nov 2006 | Champions Trophy |
| AUS (334/6) | SCOT (131/10) | AUS won by 203 runs | Basseterre | 14 Mar 2007 | ODI World Cup |
| AUS (358/5) | NED (129/10) | AUS won by 229 runs | Basseterre | 18 Mar 2007 | ODI World Cup |
| AUS (377/6) | SA (294/10) | AUS won by 83 runs | Basseterre | 24 Mar 2007 | ODI World Cup |
| AUS (322/6) | WI (219/10) | AUS won by 103 runs | North Sound | 27 Mar 2007 | ODI World Cup |
| BAN (104/6) | AUS (106/10) | AUS won by 10 wkts | North Sound | 31 Mar 2007 | ODI World Cup |
| ENG (247/10) | AUS (248/3) | AUS won by 7 wkts | North Sound | 8 Apr 2007 | ODI World Cup |
| IRE (91/10) | AUS (92/1) | AUS won by 9 wkts | Bridgetown | 13 Apr 2007 | ODI World Cup |
| SL (226/10) | AUS (232/3) | AUS won by 7 wkts | St George’s | 16 Apr 2007 | ODI World Cup |
| AUS (348/6) | NZ (133/10) | AUS won by 215 runs | St George’s | 20 Apr 2007 | ODI World Cup |
| SA (149/10) | AUS (153/3) | AUS won by 7 wkts | Gros Islet | 25 Apr 2007 | ODI World Cup |
| AUS (281/4) | SL (215/8) | AUS won by 53 runs (DLS Method) | Bridgetown | 28 Apr 2007 | ODI World Cup |
So Australia’s winning run began in the 2006 Champions Trophy (CT). It was the fifth edition of the 50-over event held in India.
A total of 12 teams featured in the tournament, with eight making it to the group stage. Australia were put in Group A alongside hosts India, England, and the West Indies.
And Australia’s first match was against the Windies, which they lost by 10 runs. But after this loss, the Aussies didn’t drop a game till they emerged as World Cup champions in 2007.
They routed England and India in the group stage to top the Group A points table to secure a semi-final berth against New Zealand. There, Australia beat their Trans-Tasman rivals to set up the final against the Windies, a team against whom they had lost the first match.
The Kangaroos then turned the tables in the final and how! They wrapped up the Caribbean side for 138 runs to almost seal their first Champions Trophy title.
The rain interrupted Australia’s chase after the 10th over. So they got a revised target of 116 in 35 overs, which they chased down with 41 balls to spare.
Four months later, Australia continued their streak in the 2007 ODI World Cup. The West Indies, the runners-up of the CT 2006 final, were the tournament hosts.
Australia kicked off their campaign with easy wins against their Group A opponents. They knocked off Scotland and the Netherlands by huge margins before beating South Africa in their last group stage encounter.
The Aussies topped Group A to move into the Super Eights stage. Then, the tournament witnessed Australia’s sheer dominance.
They thrashed all six opponents to cruise into the semi-final. First up were the hosts, the Windies, followed by Bangladesh, England, Ireland, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand.
In the semi-final, Australia defeated South Africa for the second time to advance into their fourth consecutive World Cup final. The 2007 World Cup final was the rematch of the 1996 edition final.
Back then, Sri Lanka humbled the Australians. But a commanding Australia took the revenge of the 1996 final loss to make it 15 wins on the trot. Now it’s a completely different story how the 2007 final ended.
About four and a half months later, we welcomed the brand new T20 World Cup. Australia entered the tournament as World Champions and were expected to keep their successful run going.
But, as all good things come to an end, Australia’s run also came to a stop. And it was Zimbabwe, a not-so-competitive side, who halted the juggernaut.
The Aussies faced Zimbabwe in their first T20 World Cup encounter and put on a disappointing performance, first with the bat and then with the ball.
They mustered 138 runs in 20 overs and failed to defend their total. Zimbabwe sneaked in the victory with a ball to spare, ending Australia’s 15-match winning streak in the ICC tournaments.
Ricky Ponting was Australia’s captain all along. He led the finest pack of players to show the world how dominance actually looks.
In between, Australia bagged their first Champions Trophy in 2006 before making the hat-trick of the ODI World Cup in 2007. It was an exceptional run, one that perhaps few teams will ever come close to.
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