Rattled India target rare three-peat in Australia

SYDNEY : Australia's mouthwatering clash with India sees the two behemoths of the modern game go head-to-head in five tests over six weeks with the tourists eyeing a third straight series triumph Down Under.

Only England in the 1880s, West Indies a century later and South Africa more recently have achieved that feat, and to do so against the current holders of the World Test Championship title would be a considerable accomplishment.

Home and away, India have won the last four test series between the two countries but recent signs of frailty in a team in transition has had alarm bells ringing from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

The stunning 3-0 home reversal at the hands of New Zealand a few weeks ago shone a harsh spotlight on the generation that was the first from India to win a test series in Australia in 2019 and backed it up two years later.

Among the questions being asked by Indian fans is whether batting mainstays Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both now closer to 40 than 30, can arrest their decline on Australia's quick and bouncy pitches.

Captain Rohit looks unlikely to even play in the series opener starting in Perth on Friday, having decided to put family first and stay at home for the birth of his second child.

Training injuries have impacted the list of likely replacements with Shubman Gill fracturing a thumb and KL Rahul taking a nasty blow to his elbow.

The questions over India's opening partnership echo a debate that has engrossed Australia since Cameron Green was ruled out of the series with a back injury in mid-October.

Once it was confirmed that Steve Smith would be dropping down the order to replace the injured all-rounder at number four, every possible candidate to partner Usman Khawaja has been proposed,