Heading into the fourth Test in Ahmedabad, Australia is in with a chance of drawing the series with India.
Despite the ruin smote upon Australia's prospects during the first two Tests, there is a genuine prospect they might not only salvage pride — that was achieved in a superb third-Test victory in Indore — but share the spoils in a series few thought they could win.
Rewind to the end of the second Test for a minute.
David Warner and Josh Hazlewood were put on a plane back to Australia due to injuries and skipper Pat Cummins followed due to a family illness.
But despite those absentees, Australia's team for the third Test was more balanced: in came Cam Green, even if barely used as a bowler, just two overs in the first innings; Travis Head's exclusion was rectified; and Mitch Starc provided control and pace at the other end.
So, how big would it be to draw a series from 2-0 down?
Let's put it this way: Australia has not come back from 2-0 in a Test series to force a positive result since winning the 1936 Ashes 3-2.
That series was a wild ride: England won the first Test in Brisbane by 322 runs after bowling Australia out for just 58 in 12.3 overs, then claimed the second by an innings and 22 runs in Sydney after making Australia follow on, having bowled them out for 80 chasing England's 6-426.
But then, thanks to a double century from Don Bradman in each match, Australia turned things around with a 365-run win at the MCG and a 148-run win in Adelaide.
Australia then completed a series victory with an innings and 200 runs in the decider at the MCG, becoming the only team to ever win a series after being 2-0 down.
No team has forced a draw in a four-Test series after being 2-0 down.
The thing is, it's been an awful long time since Australia won two Tests in a row against India in India — more than 53 years, in fact.
In 1969, a Bill Lawrie-led side overcame their hosts — led by the Nawab of Pataudi, no less — in the final two Tests at Eden Gardens and Chennai to end up winning the Test series 3-1.
Since then, India have not lost many consecutive Tests — the most recent was in 2012 against England at the Wankhede and Eden Gardens.
That was, in fact, the last time India surrendered a home series and the only time they have lost a series at home in the past two decades, aside from the famous 2004 defeat to Australia.
In the 32 completed Test tours of India in the past 20 years, India has won 25, lost two and drawn five.
The last team to earn a series draw in India was Graeme Smith's South Africa in 2010, when each side shared an innings victory in a two-Test series.
The only time India has ever won two Tests in a single home series and ended up losing overall was against the Clive Lloyd-led West Indies in 1974/75, when the hosts fought back from 2-0 down but ended up losing the decider at the Wankhede by 201 runs.
It has happened twice overseas though — when a revitalised England won the fifth Test at Edgbaston to tie a five-Test series 2-2 that started in 2021 and was completed in 2022; and against Australia in 1977/78, when India fought back from 2-0 to level the series at 2-2 with wins at the MCG and SCG, only to lose the finale at Adelaide Oval.
India has never led a series 2-0 and not won it; a drawn series for Australia would be massive.
India will likely be their opponents in the World Test Championship final at the Oval in June — unless Sri Lanka can buck their poor run of form and beat New Zealand 2-0 in their upcoming Tests in Christchurch and Wellington.
The World Test Championship comes ahead of an Ashes series against an England team brimming with confidence.
Australia would feel a whole lot better heading toward England's green and pleasant land with a series draw on the dust bowls of the subcontinent behind them.
