‘Oz know the significance of series win’

Only one Australian team has won a series in India since Bill Lawry’s men triumphed in 1969; that was 13 years ago with a team full of legends including Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and debutant Michael Clarke. 

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh called winning in India the final frontier and now the current crop has a chance to conquer Test cricket’s mightiest challenge as they enter the final match in Dharamsala with the series locked at 1-1. 

"Yeah, we’re definitely aware of it," Handscomb said of Australia’s Test record in India. 

"We know how hard it is to come over here and win the series, but I guess all we are really focusing on is the Test itself and not being too overawed by the significance of it. 

"If we can go out and just go with those same plans that we’ve had in the previous three Tests then hopefully it looks after itself and potentially create our own little bit of history." 

The series has reached its finale after Australia stunned India in the first Test in Pune, out-batting, out-bowling and out-fielding the hosts to win by 333 runs. 

India bounced back in Bengaluru with a 75-run victory built on the back of a crucial partnership by Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara in a spicy match overflowing with emotion and controversy. 

Up to that point the series had been dominated by the bowlers but the third Test in Ranchi changed that when Pujara, Steve Smith, Wriddhiman Saha and Glenn Maxwell all made centuries in a gritty draw. 

The pitches used in the three Tests so have varied from venue to venue; Pune spun prodigiously from ball one and was rated ‘poor’ by the ICC, Bengaluru had inconsistent bounce and gaping cracks and was rated ‘below average’ while Ranchi was a batsman’s paradise. 

Australia’s batsmen have matched it with their Indian counterparts despite the volatile foreign conditions, and Handscomb, who made his series-high score of an unbeaten 72 in Ranchi, says that will give the tourists’ batting group the belief they can counter whatever surface is thrown at them.