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If Pat Cummins and co can defeat the West Indies in Brisbane this week, it will be just the 12th time in history – since 1876/77 – that Australia’s men’s Test side has whitewashed their opponents in a home summer.
Last summer, it was only wet weather and South African resistance at the SCG that stood in the way of Australia and a clean sweep of wins against the West Indies and Proteas.
Winning margins of 164 runs, 419 runs, six wickets, plus an innings and 182-run demolition of South Africa in Melbourne left many fans craving closer contests. While results were a little closer this summer, it has been much of the same.
Australia are undefeated in their past 14 Tests on home soil. It is the national team’s best run since a streak of 17 undefeated matches from 2012 to 2015 in Australia.
Fans like to see their team winning, but is there such a thing as winning too often?
Back-to-back summers against perceived ‘weaker opponents’ – those who aren’t India or England – was merely a quirk of the futures tours program cycle.
However, two huge summers are on the horizon, with India coming out later this year for five Tests before a home Ashes series the following year.
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While a formidable opponent for any touring side, Australia have not won their last two home series against India.
Since the turn of the century, Australia has won 96 of 133 matches at home (72 per cent) and lost just 16 (12 per cent).
That’s a far higher home winning record – in the same period – than India (60.6 per cent), England (56.8 per cent) and South Africa (62 per cent).
Is Australia becoming more dominant at home? It might feel like it, but the numbers show there hasn’t been a drastic change in the past 25 years.
Read the full story here.
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