India, Australia's most formidable opponent

In the last 20 years, India are the only team to have won more Tests than they have lost against Australia, winning 16 and losing just 14. England also have 16 wins in this period, but they lost 30 Tests.

Even against the dominant Australia sides of the 2000s led by Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting, India had a creditable record, winning nine Tests and losing nine. Every other team lost at least twice as many Tests as they won.

Even if the analysis is restricted to more recent times, say the last ten years starting 2004, India have won 10 Tests and lost only eight, once again making them the only team to have won more Tests than they have lost against Australia.

While it is true that a bulk of India's wins came at home, their record in Australia is not to be scoffed at. The first table below shows that India played 11 Tests against Australia during the tenure of Ponting and Waugh, winning two, drawing three, and losing the remaining six. It means that India either won or drew 45 percent of their Tests in Australia during that period. No other team had a better record.

Clearly, even when Australia were at their peak, India were a formidable opponent. Restricting the comparison to more recent times, it is undeniable that the 4-0 drubbing in 2011-12 has spoiled India's recent record in the country. However, it is still not so dismal that it pales in comparison to other teams. Below is a table comparing the record of overseas teams in Australia over the last ten years. In fact, India are still second on the list of teams with the highest percentage of wins and draws in Australia.

India and Australia have played 10 Tests in Adelaide, with Australia winning six, India one, and the remaining three being drawn. The perception about Adelaide is that the venue assists spin. In the last five years, spinners have bowled about 38% off all overs in Adelaide, which is the highest percentage of spin bowled at any Australian venue during this period. Every other Australian venue has seen more than 70% of the overs being bowled by medium-pacers, with the fast bowlers only sending down 62% off all deliveries in Adelaide.

Though a significant chunk of the overs in Adelaide have been sent down by spinners, this has not translated into good returns for them. The below table shows that spinners average almost 60 at Adelaide, about 14 runs more than at any other venue. Pacers have a better average here, 34.05, but this too is among the worst for an Australian venue.

The above table tells us that neither spinners nor pacers have had much success in Adelaide, suggesting that batsmen generally thrive at the venue. The below table proves that theory. Adelaide is the only Australian venue where the average score per innings has been in excess of 400 over the last 10 years. Scores in Melbourne and Perth are closer to the 300 mark, and around 350 in other venues.

At Adelaide itself, there is a significant difference between the average score in the first and second innings. The average first innings score at Adelaide in the last ten years has been 485, while teams only average 293 in the second innings.

Since November 2005, batsmen have scored six double hundreds in the first innings at Adelaide, more than at any other venue in the world. Two of those six hundreds were scored by Michael Clarke. Clarke has scored 1279 runs from nine Tests at Adelaide, at an average of 98.4. Clarke has scored the most runs for any batsmen who has played 10 Tests or fewer at Adelaide, with Don Bradman (970 runs from seven Tests) in second spot. Over the years, Indian batsmen have also scored more runs at Adelaide (5636) than at any other Australian venue.

The broad conclusion, therefore, is that Adelaide is a good venue for the batsmen, not a great venue for pacers, and one where spinners are likely to bowl a bulk of the overs. Overall, India should be reasonably happy and fancy their chances.