After being out for the count in Adelaide, India came back swinging in the Boxing Day Test with a stirring eight-wicket win over Australia at the MCG to level the four-match series with two matches to play.
India coach Ravi Shastri heralded the victory as “one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the game” which, given they had just been bowled out for 36 in the first Test and were missing some of their first-choice players, including superstar captain Virat Kohli, in the second, is entirely justified.
In Kohli’s absence, stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane led from the front with a first-innings century and 27 not out in pursuit of their 70-run target.
Can India Continue Revival?
The series heads to Sydney on Wednesday evening with India 14/5 to complete a remarkable turnaround with another victory which would ensure they retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy they won on Australian soil in 2018.
However, to do so they must become only the second side this millennium to win at the SCG.
Sydney has been a stronghold for the Aussies for over 20 years with England – in 2003 and 2011 – being the only touring side to win at the historic ground since 1995. In that time, Australia have won 20 of 26 Tests at the SCG and would be a lot shorter than 20/29 had they put up more of a fight with the bat in Melbourne.
Swashbuckling opener David Warner looks set to return from injury on his home ground to bolster the hosts’ top order which has yet failed to fire. Warner’s inclusion is a huge boost given the uncharacteristic struggles of Steve Smith, especially as he averaged over 66 at the SCG.
Spin to be King
There are no such concerns with the ball with Australia’s ace attack still the best around.
Australian pitches are famed for being among the quickest in world cricket but Sydney is perhaps the one venue where spinners also get their just rewards. Even in the era of Shane Warne, Australia always toyed with playing two spinners at the SCG.
Whether the SCG is as spin-friendly as it once was is open to debate but the pressure will still be on Nathan Lyon and Ravi Ashwin to spin their sides to victory this week.
Ashwin has held the upper hand in the series so far with ten wickets but the SCG is Lyon’s domain and the Aussie twirler could be the biggest threat to India’s batting line-up this week.
The New South Welshman has taken 36 wickets in nine Tests in Sydney and produced a match-winning ten-wicket haul against New Zealand in 2020.
Lyon has only taken four wickets in the series so far, although that comes with the caveat that he didn’t even bowl in the second innings at Adelaide as the quicks blew India away and he bowled only 17 balls as India reached their target inside 16 overs in Melbourne.
He took 3-72 in the first innings at the MCG, highlighting his threat, and may be overpriced at 16/1 to be named man of the match back on familiar footing.
India spinner Ashwin is also 16/1 in the same market which could be very big should he continue his stranglehold over Australia’s batsmen.
*All odds correct at time of writing