Australian opener Matthew Hayden said the defeat against India in the second cricket Test has posed a major challenge to his team's domination of world cricket in recent times.
"This is kind of what Australia's been looking for now for a long time," the robust batsman said after India recorded a historic four-wicket win over Australia in Adelaide on Tuesday.
Hayden said India's spirited display in the Test promises two more great matches.
"We're challenged in our bowlers, we're asking questions of them, we're getting asked questions with our batting, so it's going to be a great series."
Proving all predictions wrong, India leapfrogged to a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series after their first victory on Australian soil in 22 years.
The win has also raises hopes of India recording a series win outside the subcontinent for the first time since beating England in 1986.
Australia need to win the remaining two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar trophy, which India won at home in 2001.
Hayden said he believes the hosts will bounce back more aggressively for the remainder of the series.
"I think the Boxing Day event and the New Year's Test match are always special Test matches, but now that we're under pressure as well, I think you'll see a very aggressive confident Australian side coming out," he was quoted as saying by a website.
Hayden's views were endorsed by Australian coach John Buchanan, who said his team would thrive on the pressure and win in Melbourne and Sydney.
"There's no question that there's the ability, the talent, the skill, the experience, the knowledge and the desire to do that," Buchanan said.
"As I said before, that to me is all part and parcel of the process, rather than just focusing on trying to win the games."
Yesterday's loss came as a big jolt to Australia's hopes of giving retiring captain Steve Waugh the farewell on a winning note.
But Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist said it would be a mistake to write off the Australian team after one loss.
"There's going to be all sorts of predictions about eras and loss of number one position in the world and all this sort of stuff," he said.
"But that's irrelevant for us. We've never really paid a lot of attention to those people that make those or voice those opinions any way.
"It's a fickle world, like whilst we're dominating everyone says it's bad and all of a sudden we lose and all of a sudden it's the end of an era, we're no good any more.
"So that's the feeling when you're in the middle of it all. It's not that bad, it's not that big a deal, it's a game of cricket."
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