Decider: All to play for, but all not playing

While Australia have recovered from a poor start, it has been the opposite for India in the series so far

- PAT CUMMINS

together. This is tough, this is Test cricket.

In the pre-match press conference, coach Gautam Gambhir chose to look at the situation positively.

"If someone had said 40-45 days ago that we would be in this situation, that we can come to Sydney and draw this series, then it's a good position to be in," he said. "See, when you come on such tours, it's not that batting or bowling didn't do well. If batting and bowling hadn't done well, we wouldn't have won a Test match or we wouldn't have been 2-1 down. We could have been in a worse situation."

Equally, things could have been a lot better if India had taken their chances. Some strange selections haven't helped either. Compared to the visitors, the hosts quietly went about their business even in the face of criticism.

"It is just one loss and things would not look as bad if we win at Adelaide," said off-spinner Nathan Lyon before the second Test. Australia found a way to collectively raise their levels after that.