The second Test between Australia and India gets under way on Monday, with the hosts looking to follow up their comprehensive first Test victory in Melbourne.
Match Odds at Betfred: Australia 11/10, India 12/5, draw 9/4
This series was billed as a battle between the Indian veterans and the young Aussie quicks but it was two Australian old-timers that pulled them out of the mire and eventually turned the tide in their favour at the MCG.
Ricky Ponting’s place appeared to be in jeopardy but the former captain hit two half-centuries, while Mike Hussey’s second innings of 89 rescued what threatened to be another embarrassingly low score for the Baggy Greens (Ponting 7/2 Top Aussie Batsman).
And once the ball was turned over to the Australia paceman it was all over as a contest as James Pattinson enhanced his growing reputation even further with another superb display of fast bowling to decimate the Asians.
So what went wrong with India?
They apparently lost to England last summer because they arrived ‘under-prepared’ but there could be no excuses this time as they had just featured in a Test series against the West Indies and had a couple of weeks rest before arriving Down Under.
A few sections of the Aussie media had suggested prior to the Indians arriving that a few of them might be a bit over the hill and their comments were dismissed as folly – but could there be some truth in what was said?
Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar made runs in the first innings but there was no fight down the order and with the usually-reliable VVS Laxman failing both times, it was never really an equal contest.
But both the Little Master and Laxman have scored heavily at the SCG on previous tours and it would not be a surprise to see them bounce back and make a significant contribution next week.
Despite the margin of victory, things are not all rosy in the hosts’ camp as they were rescued by the lower order in the first innings and by just two players second time around.
They clearly miss Shane Watson and seven single-figure scores from the top nine batsmen in the second innings at the MCG proves there is much work to be done for coach Mickey Arthur.
But the signs are there that Michael Clarke’s attack is starting to take shape and they do have both teenage pace sensation Pat Cummins and long-term injury-victim Mitchell Johnson to come back into the side at some stage.
Whether or not Johnson will ever get a look back in is open to question as Pattinson has almost certainly cemented his place in the starting XI.
He was regularly clocked at well over 90 mph and bowled with skill throughout the contest to take six wickets, while Peter Siddle and the returning Ben Hilfenhaus were also on top of their game.
While the Aussie batting is still brittle to say the least, they might well have found the replacements for Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie.
Only time will tell if they have the talent to progress as international players but the signs are good at the moment.
So what can India do to fight back in Sydney and try to stop the series running away from them?
Self-belief will be the key as they have now lost five successive Tests against the so-called top nations, with just a 1-0 success against the West Indies in November to celebrate.
Dravid and Laxman have scored big centuries in recent times while Tendulkar looked as good as ever until he got out and so if MS Dhoni’s men are to get back to winning ways, they must start to believe that they can beat this Australia side and put together meaningful partnerships (Dravid 7/2 Top India Batsman).
They have never won a Test series Down Under and many thought this would be the series when it happened but, unless the top six take the responsibility and go on to post big hundreds, then they will struggle.
This may not be the best Australian side ever but once you show any weakness they will go for the jugular and they might just have found an attack capable of inflicting further woe on the visitors.
But you write them off at your peril and it would be a fitting way for Tendulkar to bring up his 100th international century if he managed to do it on his ‘favourite ground outside India’.
Spin usually plays a part at the SCG and, in Ravi Ashwin, the Indians have a good one and, just as Graeme Swann waited until the final Test of last winter’s Ashes to make a significant contribution, it could be the new man’s chance to show what he can do when conditions are in his favour.
Australia might have replaced their great quicks of yesteryear but they are second best in the spin department as they have still not found anyone to step into Shane Warne’s extremely large shoes.
