India vs Australia: Numbers paint a grim picture but Virat Kohli & Co start favourites at SCG

India are 2-1 ahead in the series, courtesy of comfortable victories in Adelaide (31 runs) and Melbourne (141 runs) respectively, with one match to go.

Virat Kohli and his troops stand on the cusp of history as they take on Australia in the fourth and the final Test of the series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), starting Thursday. India have never managed to win a Test series Down Under but that will change for the good if the visitors manage to achieve a positive result at the iconic SCG.

India's captain Virat Kohli (R) talks to teammates before a training session ahead of the fourth and final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney. (AFP)

India are 2-1 ahead in the series, courtesy of comfortable victories in Adelaide (31 runs) and Melbourne (141 runs) respectively, with one match to go. But things aren’t going to be easy for the tourists as the Aussies have already shown ( read 146-run win in Perth) they aren’t playing just to make up the numbers.

Moreover, India’s record in series deciders overseas is nothing to be proud about. In total, India have played 23 Test series outside Asia since 2000, out of which 16 series were decided in the final match. India have managed to come out victorious on just four occasions while in the rest, they either lost or drew the match.

READ: India vs Australia Live Cricket Score 4th Test Day 1 in Sydney

The four times that they have clinched victories against Zimbabwe (2005), West Indies (2006), England (2007) and New Zealand (2008/09) — the last time India tasted success in series deciders away from Asia. Since then, it has been either draws or defeats.

Moreover, since 1947-48, India have toured Australia 10 times (excluding the ongoing series), wherein they managed to draw the series thrice (1980-81, 1985-86 and 2003-04) and lost on the other seven occasions.

Despite these abysmal figures, the visitors will feel confident of doing well in the final match of the series. So far, they have managed to win two times in the series and it must be taken as a big achievement, considering they had won just five times in Australia in the previous 70 years. Also, this is the first time since 1977-78 that India have managed to win two Tests in a series in Australia.

“If you ask me very honestly, no (history doesn’t matter). We need to stay in the present and focus on the things we can do. The reason why we want to win this Test is we understand as cricketers how difficult it is to come here and play. It’s not only the team you are playing against, it’s the whole nation,” Kohli told reporters on the eve of the contest.

Whilst Kohli may underplay the fact that his team in standing on the verge of something that no Indian team in the past could achieve, it will mark as the completion of a full circle for him as skipper. Kohli took over the reins of the team in Sydney four years back when they were languishing at lowly seventh in the Test rankings. And now, the number one ranked side in the world are just one good result away from etching their name in history books.