Australia win all the Tests in a home summer inside four days for the first time in history if they sweep past New Zealand in Sydney.
Tim Paine’s side are yet to be pushed to a fifth day in any of their Test wins over Pakistan or the Black Caps this summer, winning all four in four days.
Australia have never swept aside opponents so fast so regularly before in a home season.
Since Test cricket began in 1877, they have clean-swept a summer of multiple matches nine times before but have been pushed to a fifth day in at least one of those games each time.
The only other instance that comes close is a series against Bangladesh in 2003, however that was only a two-match series against the minnows played in the middle of winter.
Their 2019-20 record signifies a significant rise from the team that suffered their first ever Test series loss to India on these shores as they battled out of the ball-tampering saga.
“I remember sitting here (at the SCG) last year and saying there was light at the end of the tunnel,” Paine said.
“We’d gone through a really difficult time, especially as a batting group.
“But I thought what happened, getting games into guys like Marnus (Labuschagne) and Travis Head when they probably wouldn’t of would bear fruit.
“So all that has gone on wasn’t for nothing, there’s a silver lining.
“I’m really proud of the way the whole playing group and staff have handled the last 12 months, it’s one thing to talk about it and another thing to do it.”
Australia’s dominance has also extended across to the white ball too.
Heading into the Sydney Test, their batsmen have scored 3234 runs at an average of 57.75 in all formats this season, while Aussies bowlers have taken 123 wickets at 20.82.
The figures show Australia as being 36.93 runs better than their opponents for each wicket, by far the biggest advantage in the team’s history.
Meanwhile, if they are to beat New Zealand in the Sydney Test and three ODIs in March, it will mark just their third undefeated home summer across all formats since the introduction of regular one-day cricket in 1974-75.
The only other occurrences have been in 2009-10 when the West Indies at least drew a Test match, and 2000-01 when Steve Waugh’s rampant Australians won all 15 games on offer.
© AAP
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