4 reasons why India achieved the unthinkable Down Under

#2. Lower order contributions

Washington Sundar showed his batting prowess with a crucial fifty

Historically, India’s Achilles heel during overseas tours is the contribution from lower-order batsmen. Once the team is 5 or 6 wickets down, the last few batsmen throw in the towel. More often than not, those few runs make the difference.

But this series saw a marked improvement from India. In the second Test at the MCG, India was in a spot of bother at 173-5 after in the first innings. A significant first inning was crucial but a collapse looked imminent.

Ravindra Jadeja joined his skipper Ajinkya Rahane and initiated the fightback. The 121-run stand for the 6th wicket was the turning point for India. Once the visitors got a healthy 131-run lead, it became an uphill task for Paine’s side.

The 121-run partnership for the 7th wicket between debutant Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur revived the Indian first innings in the fourth Test. The partnership didn't just India closer to Australia's total, it also made Australia bat for more time.

#1. A tours and the IPL come handy

Shardul Thakur's experience came in handy

The efforts to arrange A tours by the BCCI came in handy during the series. Injuries were staggeringly the norm. As a result, India had only two players from the playing XI in the first Test available for the Gabba Test.

Along with A tours, the IPL has helped Indian cricket bridge the gap between first-class and international cricket. These young players rub shoulders with the best in the business and don't get overawed by the situation or magnitude of Test cricket.

Even though Washington Sundar and T Natarajan haven't played many first-class games, the comfort with which they played their debut game proved that the IPL has a lot of a positives.