With the Australian cricket team struggling like never before, India will have their best chance to end a 64-year wait to upstage them in their own backyard when the two sides clash in what promises to be a pulsating four-Test series starting here tomorrow.
With a young and inexperienced side to lead, Michael Clarke has already conceded that it would be quite a task for his greenhorn bowlers to contain India's veteran line-up of batsmen.
But never the best of travellers despite their improving record, the Indians would be challenged by the sheer hostility of conditions that Australia is known for.
The larger grounds and the bouncing tracks would test the Indian side even though the visitors holds the edge against the most inexperienced of Australian sides.
It is India's best chance considering how Australia have struggled in the past few months and if Sachin Tendulkar manages to score that elusive 100th international hundred, it would be cause of bigger celebrations.
In fact, such has been the wait for the ton that an early lead for the two teams could become a sideshow if Tendulkar reaches his milestone in the opening Test.
Tendulkar, the game's biggest legend with 15,183 runs from 184 Tests, chases that century after an excruciating wait of seven Tests and 13 innings which even his team-mates are urging him to end now.
On the other side, Ricky Ponting, with 12,656 runs from 158 Tests, is the game's third biggest scorer ever and is arguably the best Australian batsman ever after Sir Donald Bradman.
Yet, the former Australian captain finds his head on the chopping block after failing to score a century in the last two years, a wait of 16 Tests and 30 innings when he advanced his total by only 856 runs and a mere eight half centuries.
