Dan Allan analyses Pakistan's ODI series loss
Pakistan women on the improve
Read: Lisa Sthalekar analyses Southern Stars lineup
Six World Cup crowns. 40 series victories. Seven ICC world-ranking places.
That was the difference between the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars and the Pakistan women's side heading into the first ODI at Redlands Cricket Ground.
Another series victory has been added to the Australian ledger since then, but for a team that have won just three of their past 11 matches (two of which were against Associates Ireland), Pakistan have proved more competitive than even the most optimistic pundits would have expected pre-series.
With the first of the T20Is kicking off on Saturday, here are five questions the world champions will need to answer if they want continue their perfect start to 2014-15.
Is there any stopping Bismah Maroof?
The Pakistani pocket rocket has been an ever-present thorn in the Southern Stars' side throughout this tour; pacing the world number eight with 140 runs at an average of 35.00 – a tally just 12 runs behind player of the series Nicole Bolton.
Moreover, those runs accounted for a whopping 22 per cent of the total Pakistan scoring effort.
In another telling statistic, the tourists' top-three, and five of their top six, batting partnerships have featured the 23-year-old left-hander.
Maroof has also contributed with the ball, with her orthodox spin picking up three wickets at an average of 22.
Can Meg Lanning return to her Bangladesh best?
Lanning was the leading run-scorer at the World Twenty20 earlier this year, averaging 42.83 at a strike-rate of better than 150, the highlight being her record women's T20 international knock of 126 against Ireland.
The Southern Stars captain has only shown glimpses of what she's capable of in the most recent One-Day series, with her impressive match-winning 77-ball 78 in game three her only score of note.
The 2014 Belinda Clark Medalist mustered just 38 runs from her three other innings, despite boasting a strike-rate of 92.
Quick Single: Stars make it a clean sweep
Can the Southern Stars win without getting off to a fast start?
The Southern Stars openers struggled in the early going of all four ODI matches, their best return in the first five overs being 1-16 in game two.
Whereas Bolton was able to push through those scoring lulls, with the left-hander often pushing back up towards a run-a-ball by the end of her innings, Alyssa Healy found the going tougher, with an average of just 8.25 and a strike rate of 42.85.
With plenty of batting to come further down the order, and fewer overs to bat them, the NSW Breakers star will be expected to hit-out or get-out in the Gold Coast, with the late inclusion of VicSpirit wicket-keeper Emma Inglis in the T20 squad to replace the injured Jess Cameron putting extra pressure on Healy to secure her position.
Will the Australian quicks hit back?
In the four matches so far this series, the Australian quicks have accounted for one of Pakistan's top-six batters on just 11 occasions, with five of those wickets coming in the opening match.
Admittedly, the slow and low Redlands Cricket Ground pitch was hardly conducive to pace bowling, but it will be interesting to see how the Southern Stars fare on what is expected to be a much faster Gold Coast wicket.
Sarah Coyte, the number-four-ranked T20 bowler in women's cricket, is back in her preferred format and will likely take over new-ball duties after bowling first change for much of the ODI series.
Rene Farrell, Megan Schutt and Julie Hunter will be hoping to improve on their five, three and two-wicket ODI series returns respectively.
Twenty20 format suits Pakistan
Despite being triple world champions in the T20 format, Australia have been hampered by injuries, repeated slow starts and ineffective opening bowling.
On the other hand, the top-heavy Pakistan batting line-up (their top three scored 319 of the side’s 648 runs) looks at its least brittle with fewer overs to face.
That fact was evident in the rain-reduced 25-over-a-side second ODI, with the Southern Stars sneaking passed their 122-run target with just three balls to spare.
Again it was Maroof, and Javeria Khan, who did most of the heavy lifting for the world number eight, putting on 70 runs for the second wicket.
With the home side battling at 3-12 off eight overs in reply, there's definitely an argument that would suggest those 30-fewer deliveries would have pushed the contest back in Pakistan's favour.
Find out the answers to these questions and catch every ball of the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars T20 series against Pakistan LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on cricket.com.au