What if there will be a Tri-series between India, England and Australia?

India, England, and Australia are three of the strongest teams in international cricket across formats at this moment. They have a rich history among themselves.

England and Australia are Ashes rivals, and there is no love lost between the fans of these two nations. While their rivalry is most engaging in the red-ball format, they don't give each other an inch in the limited-overs matches as well.

The India-England rivalry has deep historical roots. The Three Lions played against India in the latter's first-ever Test match in 1932, marking the start of their journey in international cricket. It is important to note that the Asian nation was under British rule at that point.

India's rivalry with Australia has grown substantially in recent years. While Australia dominated from 2000-2010, India have bounced back and registered memorable wins from 2011 onwards. This included back-to-back Test series wins Down Under. No team has been able to repeat this feat since then. However, Australia have also left indelible scars by defeating the Men in Blue in the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup finals in 2023.

What if there is a Tri-series between India, England and Australia?

While a red-ball tri-series isn't feasible, we will take a look at what would happen if these three giants of world cricket collide in the two white-ball formats. In the ODI format, especially if the tri-series is played in the sub-continent, India will be tough to beat. They won the Champions Trophy earlier this year, remaining unbeaten in the tournament. In the semi-final, they got the better of Australia in Dubai. Meanwhile, England failed to progress beyond the first round.

India are led by Rohit Sharma, and the likes of Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer have scored consistently with the bat in the 50-over format. KL Rahul has also been a dependable force since moving down to the middle-order. In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah is a game-changer when he is fit. Kuldeep Yadav has also been in fine form of late.

England are going through a transition phase with new captain Harry Brook taking charge. Youngsters like Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith, and Matthew Potts are still finding their feet in the shorter formats. The likes of Joe Root, Jos Buttler, and Adil Rashid have a crucial role in the transition period as they can help the youngsters out by sharing their experiences.

Australia, on the other hand, have a formidable side with the likes of Travis Head, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood in the mix. Several talented youngsters are making their mark in tournaments like the Big Bash League.

Teams competing in T20Is?

In the shortest format, India are the defending champions of the T20 World Cup. After Rohit, Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirements from T20I cricket in 2024, India have given several youngsters opportunities to showcase their skills at the international level. Most of the budding talents have been able to do justice to their potential and played with the kind of flair that fans are used to seeing from them in the Indian Premier League.

The likes of Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Bumrah have not played too many T20Is of late, but in their absence, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Varun Chakaravarthy have made it count.

England are an exciting side in the T20 format, with explosive batters like Phil Salt and Will Jacks in the setup. However, the bowling department is ever-changing, with veterans like Jofra Archer and Mark Wood struggling with injuries every now and then. Adil Rashid, however, has been a dependable spin-bowling option for the European nation.

Australia, under Mitchell Marsh, have not played much T20 cricket in recent times. However, their defeat to Afghanistan in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup in 2024 was a tough pill to swallow. The Men in Yellow have many talented players in their ranks. However, the roles need to be defined better in order for them to thrive. Also, Australia makes many changes to their side from one T20I series to another. They seldom go in with a full-strength side. However, if they feature in a tri-series involving arch-rivals like England and India, it is expected that selectors will field the best team possible.

Head-to-Head records since 2020:

Conclusion:

So, based on the above points, India could be the champions if a tri-series is held in both white-ball formats.