Next week’s rescheduled first Test against India will allow Australia's grieving cricketers to move on from Phillip Hughes's shocking demise. It will be emotionally very demanding, though, for them to get back on the field.
Ahead of the four-match Test series, which commences in Adelaide on Tuesday, a factfile on the two teams.
Australia
World ranking: Second
Captain: Michael Clarke
Coach: Darren Lehmann
Squad: Clarke, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, David Warner, Shane Watson.
Tests in 2014
January: England Sydney Won (281 runs)
February: South Africa Centurion Won (281 runs); South Africa Port Elizabeth Lost (231 runs)
March: South Africa Cape Town Won (245 runs)
October: Pakistan Dubai Lost (221 runs); Pakistan Abu Dhabi Lost (356 runs)
India
World ranking: Sixth
Captain: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Coach: Duncan Fletcher
Squad: Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, K.L. Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Karn Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron
Tests in 2014
February: New Zealand Auckland Lost (40 runs); New Zealand Wellington Draw
July: England Nottingham Draw; England Lord's Won (95 runs); England Southampton Lost (266 runs)
August: England Manchester Lost (innings and 54 runs); England The Oval Lost (innings and 244 runs)
Australia v India Tests
Matches: 86
Australia wins: 38
India wins: 24
Draws: 23
Ties: 1
Previous India tours of Australia
Year | Tests | Winner | Result |
1947-1948 | Five | Australia | 4-0 |
1967-1968 | Four | Australia | 4-0 |
1977-1978 | Five | Australia | 3-2 |
1980-1981 | Three | Drawn | 1-1 |
1985-1986 | Three | Drawn | 0-0 |
1991-1992 | Five | Australia | 4-0 |
1999-2000 | Three | Australia | 3-0 |
2003-2004 | Four | Drawn | 1-1 |
2007-2008 | Four | Australia | 2-1 |
2011-2012 | Four | Australia | 4-0 |