In the 139 Tests that Australia have hosted since the turn of the century, they have lost just 18 times.
They are more likely to draw a match – they have done so on 22 occasions – this century than be defeated.
Heading into next week’s Ashes series opener in Perth, the Aussies have won 99 times on home soil since the Millennium bug was shown to be nothing more than a virtual inconvenience.
But as strong as they have been since the Steve Waugh-Ricky Ponting era, they have not been invincible.
After going 16 years without a home series loss, they have lost three and five-match contests six times since South Africa’s historic 2-1 triumph in 2008-09 when the Aussies were coming to grips with the post Shane Warne-Glenn McGrath era.
The Proteas did it again four years later and in late 2016 when the local selectors churned through 19 players in three matches, winning only the day-night dead rubber in Adelaide.
England’s lone success in their six most recent trips came in 2010-11 with India’s 2018-19 victory over a suspension-weakened Australian side followed up by their extraordinary comeback five years ago after being rolled for 36 at Adelaide Oval in the series opener.
The 2020-21 series is the outlier of the six examples of Australia losing at home.
India were decimated by injuries – pace trio Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Umesh Yadav, along with spin aces Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – on top of the absence of captain Virat Kohli, who had returned home after game one to be at the birth of his first child.
What, if anything, can England glean from the five previous touring triumphs?
2008-09: South Africa 2-1 (three-Test series)
The Proteas had a solid batting line-up and three strike weapons who bowled heat in Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Makhaya Ntini.
They stunned the Aussies in Perth when they chased down a fourth-innings target of 414 just four down with Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers tonning up.
Rishabh Pant at the Gabba in 2021. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Steyn produced arguably the greatest individual performance of his career in Melbourne with two five-wicket hauls and a famously frustrating 76 at No.10 as JP Duminy scored 166.
Despite Ricky Ponting’s even 200 for the match (101 and 99), Smith’s side won by nine wickets to wrap up the series with a game to spare.
Modern-day tip: They need Jofra Archer AND Mark Wood to have the series of their career, even if it means they never play again in the long format for England. Play them both in the first two Tests, then worry about whether they hold up later on.
2010-11: England 3-1 (five-Test series)
For Andrew Strauss’ visiting squad, this was the perfect confluence of England’s batting and bowling units peaking at a time when Australia were all over the place.
In one of the few times when a visiting spinner has held sway, Graeme Swann chewed up a mountain of overs while taking 15 wickets as James Anderson, Chris Tremlett, Steve Finn and Tim Bresnan rotated through the local batting talent.
Apart from Mitchell Johnson, the Aussie bowlers were ineffective with Xavier Doherty and Michael Beer trotted out as spin options, leading to a feast of runs for Alastair Cook (766 at 127.67), Jonathan Trott (445 at 89), Kevin Pietersen (360 at 60) and Ian Bell (329 at 65.8).
Modern-day tip: There is not much for the Bazballers to take from this one. Cook and Trott amassed their runs by occupying the crease, not a high priority for the current team. And there’s no Swann in this current touring party, only ugly ducklings.
Alastair Cook. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Action Plus via Getty Images)
2012-13: South Africa 1-0 (three-Test series)
After high-scoring draws at Brisbane and Adelaide where Faf du Plessis gritted it out for nearly eight hours for an unbeaten 110 to save South Africa, the Aussies rested Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus for the series decider in Perth.
They handed a debut to Victorian seamer John Hastings for what would be the only Test of his career ahead of a young NSW prospect called Josh Hazlewood.
After each team traded modest first-innings totals, Hashim Amla stepped up with an imperious 196, supported by AB de Villiers belting 169 to set an improbable target of 632.
Ponting, in his final Test, had been relegated to No.4 in the line-up in the twilight of his career, was powerless to prevent the Proteas’ victory march as the three-pronged attack of Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morkel ran amok.
Modern-day tip: The good old-fashioned stiff upper lip has been a bit rubbery from England’s players in recent years so a dose of du Plessis courage would serve the 2025-26 tourists well.
2016: South Africa 2-1 (three-Test series)
Another series in which the South Africans got the jump on Australia from the get-go in the West.
This Proteas team was not as strong as the previous one but the locals were struggling big time with the bat.
Adam Voges got found out by the high-class pace attack led by Kagiso Rabada and after the Aussies were routed for 85 and 161 in the second game at Hobart, with the selectors dropping six players for the first time since 1984.
Australia won the final Test but it was little consolation and Voges, Peter Nevill, one-gamers Callum Ferguson and Joe Mennie never represented their country again.
Modern-day tip: Philander was named player of the series after taking 12 wickets, proving that seamers can succeed even if they don’t bowl at high pace. Rabada, who bagged three more scalps at a lower average, was unlucky not to get the award. The current England team can see from this example that the Aussies can become unsettled quickly if the top order crumbles so the new ball cannot be wasted.
Dale Steyn. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
2018-19: India 2-1 (four-Test series)
Cheteshwar Pujara set a tone for the series on day one (and two) when he batted for more than six hours in compiling 123, backing that up with a 204-ball 71 in the second dig of the 31-run win.
With Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft serving their sandpaper bans, Australia’s batting was paper thin and all five centuries in the series were scored by the tourists – three by Pujara.
Modern-day tip: If Joe Root wants to break his century drought Down Under, he should forget about the Bazball theatrics and adopt the Pujara approach. He has the technique that can counter the Australian bowlers as long as he doesn’t dangle his blade wide of the off stump, which has brought him undone many times in the past.
2020-21: India 2-1 (four-Test series)
As noted previously, this series is an anomaly not just in terms of contests in Australia but in Test cricket history.
India had no right to win after they were trounced in Adelaide and star after star dropped out of the line-up.
But in a sign of the importance of depth, lesser lights in the form of stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant – early in his international career, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj (on debut) stepped up as the under-strength Indians won in Melbourne, drew in Sydney and then chased down 329 at the Gabba to deliver one of the most astounding series results of all time.
Modern-day tip: The little-known members of the England side need to believe in themselves because it could be a Jacob Bethell, a Will Jacks or a Matthew Potts who is called upon to shine if the best-laid plans go awry.
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