History against India after first Test loss

India will have to break a daunting 44-year record if they are to bounce back from a first Test thumping and beat Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series.

Quick Single: Five classic captain's knocks

Only once in their 85-year history have India come back and won a series of four or more matches after losing the opening Test.

That sole rebound success came in 1973 when Farokh Engineer’s team turned a 0-1 deficit into a 2-1 victory in the five-Test series against England on home soil.

If that series is too far back for the current India squad to draw inspiration from – none of the current Test squad were even born in 1973 – perhaps they can think back to 18 months ago when they lost the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.

The 63-run upset at the hands of rampant spin bowler Rangana Herath and the Sri Lankans was quickly forgotten as Virat Kohli’s men won the next two Tests convincingly to take the series 2-1 and begin a 19-match unbeaten run in the five-day format that was only ended last week in Pune.

Or if Kohli’s charges are looking for a comeback against Australia they need look no further than the epic 2001 series in India.

After the first Test was snatched by centuries from Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, India were asked to follow-on in the second Test, but VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid turned the series 180 degrees to firstly win in Kolkata and then wrap up the series in a two-wicket thriller in Chennai.

Quick Single: Six of the best shock Australian victories

The last time Australia lost a series having won the first Test was the unforgettable 2005 Ashes series, where victory at Lord’s was followed by defeats at Edgbaston (second Test) and Trent Bridge (fourth) to deliver England the fragile urn after 16 long years.

However, Australia are tremendous frontrunners when winning the first Test of a series with at least four Tests, with their 42 series wins comfortably more than any other nation.

Meanwhile, Laxman is expecting India to emerge stronger from the "debacle" that unfolded over three days in Pune.

The mastermind of India's fightback in 2001 says the current side can respond to the heavy defeat, but labelled the magnitude of the loss "astonishing".

Quick Single: An Aussie win not seen for 81 years

"That this is a four-Test series is to India's advantage. There is plenty of time to bounce back from the Pune defeat," Laxman wrote on cricketcountry.com.

"Especially given the quality that is at Virat (Kohli's) disposal. It is debatable if there will be a Pune-type pitch for the rest of the series, and I strongly advocate that there should not be.

"The swiftness of the debacle was astonishing ... Pune cannot be wished away as a bad dream.

"India can use it as a template of what not to do, and emerge stronger by imbibing the lessons. Not for a moment do I have any doubt about my Indian team's capability to win this series, even from this position."

Laxman, who scored 281 in the stunning victory at Eden Garden’s 16 years ago, was full of praise for Steve Smith's century in the first Test.

"Smith produced one of the finest hundreds ever seen on Indian soil, his use of feet exemplary and his choice of deliveries to attack and defend near-impeccable," Laxman observed.

"He had his fair share of luck, but to his credit, he made the most of his good fortune ... the confidence he will derive from this century simply cannot be put in words."

- with AAP