Australia may have defeated India in the World Test Championship final last year, but it has been a decade since they won a series against their great South Asian rivals.

Australia’s star all-rounder Mitchell Marsh spoke to Melinda Farrell for Al Jazeera Sports from Perth ahead of the first of five Tests.

Marsh is looking forward to playing in his first Test series against India since 2018.

Al Jazeera: Mitch, over the last 18 months Australia has won a World Cup and a World Test Championship final against India, but some of the players in this team have never experienced winning a Test series against India. Is this an itch you really want to scratch?

Michelle Marsh: I don’t think it’s any surprise, but everyone is very excited to play in this series. A huge construction has taken place. And we’ve built a great rivalry with this team and the people involved, so we’re all excited to get it going and hopefully it’s a really entertaining series.

Al Jazeera: Is it unimaginable for Australia to lose three consecutive home series to India? Does the possibility of a third consecutive defeat bring this series into even greater focus?

Marsh: One of the real strengths of our team in this last short period has been our ability to exist in high-pressure situations, which will certainly be the case throughout this series. For us, looking at the series we have lost and the series we have won, or the trophies we have won over the years, those are great memories. Obviously, the loss is not huge. But right now, it is just about focusing on this series. And we don’t need any additional motivation to represent our country and play in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, so we won’t look back. We will be present in the moment.

Al Jazeera: Is this India’s weakest series against Australia in recent years, given the intense scrutiny after the New Zealand series loss and question marks over the form of key Indian players?

Marsh: We have a lot of respect for India. We know they are a great cricket team. Any series you lose, you are always disappointed, so I am sure they were disappointed to lose to New Zealand. But for us, it’s really about focusing on what we’re trying to achieve, the way we want to play, and focusing on that. We know that we are a very good cricket team, just like our best cricket team.

al Jazeera: Will this be a series of bowlers or batsmen?

Marsh: For my sake, hopefully not bowling! [laughs] Look, I think it’s going to be a really even fight. Both teams have excellent bowling lineups. Australia’s wickets have been fantastic cricket wickets over the years. Big scores have not been made [in recent years]But ultimately we don’t know. The best team will win the series by batting and bowling really well.

Al Jazeera: How important will your role be as the fourth seamer, especially without Cameron Green in the team?

Marsh: I’m looking forward to it. This is not a new area for me. I have been here many times. I’m feeling really calm and just doing my job. If you look at how many overs all-rounders have bowled in the last three to four years, it’s not really a lot, but they can be important overs. And for me, whether it’s a few overs here and there, or 10 overs to 15 overs, it’s just about competing and being really clear on my role and trying to give opportunities to the boys when required. I am really confident about my bowling and its condition and I feel really well prepared. It feels good.

Al Jazeera: India’s superstar batsman Virat Kohli has been under special scrutiny as always, but Australia often seems to get the best of him. Do you try to get under his skin or is it definitely a case of don’t kill the bear?

Marsh: she’s the new harley reed [West Coast Eagles player in the Australian Football League]With reference to previous pages. He’s on the back page of The West Australian [newspaper] At this time. Enjoyed reading. We know he is one of the greatest players to ever play the game and you can’t be one of the greatest players without being able to perform under pressure. So it’s always at high stakes. We have a lot of respect for Virat and hopefully we can keep him calm throughout the series, but we know there will be times when he can dominate us and you respect that. I think you’re looking forward to the challenge of playing against guys like that.

Al Jazeera: Looks like don’t shoot the bear.

Marsh: He has been beaten many times!

Al Jazeera: Will this be a Test series where it might feel somewhat like an away crowd? Newspapers are publishing articles in Hindi and Punjabi and there is a huge Indian fan following in Australia.

Marsh: I think it’s fantastic. We know that the Indian cricket team is probably one of the greatest sports teams in the world in any sport. Wherever they go, they get a huge amount of support. Indian cricket fans are some of the best in the world, and so the opportunity to play in front of them is always great wherever you go. I dare say we’ll still have a lot of Australian fans. It’s been a huge build, and we know, certainly with these big series, how much our fans are around us. So it will be amazing to see both groups of fans on the field getting involved.

al Jazeera: Last question, Mitch. What is your favorite Border-Gavaskar series memory, watching or playing?

Marsh: When Gillies saw Australia win in 2004 [Adam Gilchrist] Was the captain. It was just behind the wall, and the way they went about it was very special. It was amazing to watch as a little kid at that time. And my first test win was against India at Adelaide Oval [in 2014]It was truly a special week. It was my first Test at home, my third Test match. Gaza [Nathan Lyon] Inspired us to win. I took a catch in the outfield. I was a young, bright-eyed kid and it was a really special moment. i sang the team song with my old man [father] Out in the middle of the Adelaide Oval. It was very special.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.