It is not often that an Australian team carries the tag of an ¡®underdog¡¯ while playing at home ¡ª especially going into a game at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), where they haven¡¯t lost a Test match in the last eight years.
England were the last team to humble Australia at the SCG, back in 2011. This is a venue where the hosts have since won five Tests and drawn two.
Australia, who boast a win percentage of 55.66 at this venue, have won 59 of the 106 Tests they have played here, drawn 19 and lost 28. But then, these are difficult times for Australian cricket.
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True, the team has been in turmoil post last year¡¯s ¡®Sandpapergate¡¯ scandal that has seen their captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner copping one-year bans, while Cameron Bancroft ¡ª a co-conspirator in the ball-tampering episode ¡ª was banished for nine months.
To blame Australian cricket¡¯s low stock solely on the non-availability of Smith and Warner is not right because the truth is that the team had been struggling since 2016 even when the banned duo was in charge.
A look at the numbers reveal that Australia have won only 12 and lost 14 of the 29 Test they have played since July 26, 2016.
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It translates into just two series wins ¡ª against Pakistan (2016-17) and England (2017-18), both at home. In such a scenario, you can hardly blame the bookmakers for installing India as the favourites at the SCG, where the visitors have only won once ¡ª way back in 1977-78, under Bishan Singh Bedi.
Unlike the traditional New Year¡¯s eve festivities at the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Indian cricket has undergone a complete transformation.
From a bunch of amateurs who had shunned Kerry Packer¡¯s money-spinning World Series Cricket in favour of regular Test cricket in the late 1970s, and yet lost the five-match series 2-3 to an Australian team comprising of rookies ¡ª and led by a 41-year-old Bob Simpson ¡ª the Indian team has now emerged as the No. 1 Test side in the world.
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After tasting a fair amount of success in overseas conditions under Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and MS Dhoni, Team India under Virat Kohli has raised the bar and is on the verge of winning their maiden Test series in Australia.
The single-mindedness and a steely resolve displayed by Indian players in recent times are reminiscent of the Australian swagger of yore.
Generations of Indian cricketers who have grown up admiring the ¡®Australian way¡¯ of playing-to-win mentality, have inculcated that attitude so successfully that the Australians are now finding it hard to match. And it¡¯s showing on and off the field.
It is largely due to the Indian Premier League (IPL) that hundreds of Indian players get to share the dressing room with top international players, including the Australians, during the tournament that has led to this change in attitude.
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While Indian cricketers have benefited from the exposure to IPL, the Big Bash League (BBL) hasn¡¯t quite had the same effect on Australian youngsters who are struggling to break through the ranks and make a mark at the highest level.
The eventual return of Smith and Warner to the fold may help in arresting the slide, but coach Justin Langer will have to look for long-term solutions to the ills that afflict Australian cricket. For India, the immediate goal is to win the Test series and impose their dominance.