5. History
It’s a dreadful task to make a comeback in the series after losing the first Test. Losing is one thing but a big defeat by 333 runs can be demoralizing. Australia will look to carry on their winning momentum in the series and won’t leave any stone unturned to retain the Border-Gavaskar series. Notably, they are just one win away from doing that. So the hosts will be under tremendous pressure going in the remainder of the series.
As far as history goes, after losing the opening Test, only once in their 85-year Test history have India made a come back and won a series of four or more matches. So, it will take some effort from Virat and co. to replicate the magic that Farokh Engineer’s led team had completed in 1973. After a winning start, the young and dynamic Smith led side would be raring to chase a historic series win in India. And after Pune, no one would dare to write them off.
