It took one of the most extraordinary Tests of all, India’s 2001 come-from-behind win in Calcutta, to end the last run of 16 consecutive victories by Australia.

And it took another amazing match to give Ricky Ponting’s own brand of world-beaters a new streak of 16 wins.

On Sunday evening at a sunny Sydney Cricket Ground, the tension had been released and India were heading for a draw.

Harbhajan Singh needed only to bat out Michael Clarke’s last over to leave Anil Kumble on strike for the last six balls of the match with three wickets in hand.

But such is the invincible aura of an Australian side with its tail up that other sides can just crumble with barely a whimper.

So as soon as Harbhajan flicked the first ball of Clarke’s last over to slip it seemed inevitable Australia would somehow also take the last two wickets in what remained of the match, and so they did.

The drama of the moment should not, however, mask the fact that this Australian side – despite losing Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Justin Langer – has not been stretched enough.

Without wanting to take anything away from the tenacity of Ponting’s team – and their clear strength in depth - Australia’s dominance of other nations has only been questioned twice this decade.

There was the Indian win in 2001 and England’s Ashes triumph four years later.

And the fact that 10 of the current sequence of 16 wins have come against England and South Africa, past and present holders of the second-ranked position in the world ratings, tells you everything about the strength of their current “challengers”.

It's clear that Test cricket is again crying out for a team to emerge as a valid challenger to the Aussies.

For the moment, Indian fans will doubtless complain about two outrageous umpiring decisions in the course of the match by Steve Bucknor, both involving Andrew Symonds.

His refusal to give Symonds caught behind despite a clear edge averted a major crisis for Australia on the first day – and the batsman went on to hit 162 not out.

Four days later, Bucknor gave Rahul Dravid out, caught behind off Symonds, when bat and gloves were locked behind his pads.

Dravid is India’s best blocker when a match needs to be saved, but he was cruelly denied the opportunity.

Fate – or Bucknor - had dealt the Indian cricket team a raw deal in the Test, but with Kumble batting so stoutly at one end the draw they surely deserved was there for the taking.

The batsmen around him failed to show the steel needed to deny Australia victory, however.

Mahendra Dhoni padded up to Symonds, Harbhajan could only last 14 balls and when RP Singh fell for a first-ball duck he walked off the wicket with a smile on his face.

He did not look crestfallen, as one might have assumed, as an Australia would surely have done.

And therein lies the difference between the Baggy Greens and the other Test sides.

Australia’s hunger for success is a stronger force than the desire of other teams to deny them that success.

Just how many consecutive wins will Ponting’s team seize now?