Having won all three Tests against Pakistan (making it 4 Test wins in a row) for many observers the demoralizing series loss to South Africa suddenly seems to have occurred a long time ago and attention now turns to the upcoming tour of India, the hardest of tours for Australians over the last 40 years.
What should we be looking to get out of this series? While naturally we would like to be holding the trophy at the end of proceedings, is that a realistic aim considering the difficulty of the tour and the relative inexperience of the players set to tour?
Would we be better off hoping that we win one Test or should we be just aiming to draw one, so as to avoid the embarrassment of a white washed series? Or is it the attitude of our players that is the most important? Can we be satisfied that we are on the right path, even if we lose every Test, if the players involved show some grit and determination? Would it be enough if there is a visible effort from the batsmen to value their wicket, even though wickets would still be lost?
Enjoyment from a series like this greatly depends upon your expectations going into it, and for me what I really want to see is a good honest contest. I know it’s going to be a tough slog and I don’t think we will be able to win the series but if I see an improvement of the application we saw in Sri Lanka I’ll be somewhat appeased.