Brisbane, India's stiffest Test

Brisbane usually hosts the first Test of an Australia series because it is the northernmost of Australia's six major Test venues and therefore the most susceptible to tropical weather as we go further into the summer. Till 2003, India were the only team to have lost every Test that they played in Brisbane. However, some of India's closest losses on Australian soil, by 16 runs in 1977 and 39 runs in 1968 have also come in Brisbane.

India at the Gabba
India have played five Tests in Brisbane, lost four and drawn one. Among the five Australian grounds where India have played Tests, the Gabba is the only venue where India have not won a single Test. However, India played only one Test at the Gabba between 1992 and 2013, despite having been on four tours in the period. That solitary drawn Test was during the 2003-04 tour.

Australia at the Gabba
Australia, on the other hand, have not lost a Test at the Gabba in more than 25 years. West Indies were the last team to win here, by nine wickets, in 1988. Australia's performance at the Gabba over the last 25 years is the best by any team at a home or neutral venue, though India have not lost a Test in Delhi either, but having played only 10 matches. Australia have played 24 Tests, won 18 and drawn six.

Pace v spin at the Gabba
Nine of the 10 overseas bowlers who have taken the most wickets at the Gabba are pacers, with West Indies' Lance Gibbs the only spinner to figure in that list. Even among Australians, 18 of the top 20 wicket-takers are pacers, though Shane Warne is the leading wicket-taker at the venue with 68 wickets.

The above table shows that pace bowlers have a strike rate of 63.1 in Brisbane, the second best after Perth. However, pace bowlers have had a strike rate of only 74.3 in Brisbane over the last five years, the poorest for any Australian venue in this period. The below table analyses the performance of spinners at various Australia venues.

Spinners have a strike rate of 92.6 at the Gabba, the second-worst for any Australian venue. Over the last five years, this strike rate has improved slightly to 88.1, but is still the second-worst for an Australia venue.

However, Nathan Lyon, India's tormentor from the first Test, averages 21.90 at the Gabba, his best at any Australia ground. He has played three Tests here and taken 15 wickets, striking every 45 balls.

In conclusion: India have never won a Test at the Gabba. Australia have not lost a Test in Brisbane in more than 25 years. Brisbane has historically been the second-best Australian venue for pacers after Perth. Spinners have generally not had a great time in Brisbane, but Lyon thrives here.

If Adelaide was India's best chance for a victory, Brisbane is certainly the worst.