India's squad when Australia last beat them at home in 2004

Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh were a deadly duo in 2004

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh was being pushed aggressively in Test cricket after he had showcased his ability to be an absolute game-changer in ODIs since his debut in 2000. Despite being primarily a middle-order batsman, he was even played as an opener in one Test against Australia.

The Australia Test series came too early in his international career and the selectors only played him in the first two Tests. Despite going on to play a total of 40 Tests in his career, he would never have the success he enjoyed in other formats of the game.

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Mohammad Kaif

Along with Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif represented a new brand of Indian cricketers who were fitter and faster than their previous generations. After the success during the Natwest Trophy, Kaif and Yuvraj were catapulted into fame and the selectors believed they should be a part of the team in all formats.

Against Australia, he would enjoy a better series than most batsmen as he recorded half-centuries in Chennai as well as Nagpur. Kaif only played a total of 6 Tests after the Australia series.

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Parthiv Patel

Parthiv Patel would make headlines when he debuted for India in 2002 as a mere 16-year-old. The sight of him on the cricket field around players with much more experience is an image that Indian fans fondly recall.

When Australia toured India in 2004, he was the recognized wicket-keeper and would perform relatively well in the series before the selectors would decide to hand a debut to Dinesh Karthik in the final Test.

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Dinesh Karthik

Much was expected of Dinesh Karthik as he made plenty of headlines climbing through the ranks as a wicket-keeper batsman. When he made his debut in the final Test against Australia, fans were excited as he was widely expected to be the wicket-keeper for years to come.

He would be India’s primary keeper for a period from 2004 – 2007 after he replaced Parthiv Patel but inconsistencies at the highest level meant he was replaced by MS Dhoni.