JUSTIN LANGER: Where is Australia’s next Ricky Ponting, Steve Smith, Adam Gilchrist going to come from?

Shell-shocked after our defeat in the Brisbane Test match during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, I fronted the media.

The narrative centred around the Australian cricket team being defeated by India’s so-called “second XI” after several of India’s senior players were unavailable for the test match.

Famous now in India, my response was something along the lines of: “Never, ever underestimate a wounded Indian cricket team with 1.5 billion cricket-loving people behind them. Any player who can rise to the top eleven of 1.5 billion will have special qualities.”

The West Test proved once again the extraordinary depth of talent in India. A depth I never truly appreciated until last year’s IPL and again during the weekend’s IPL auction in Saudi Arabia.

It is breathtaking, considering that much of that talent will never be exposed to international competition.

Two years ago, Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara told me about one of his players from the IPL team he coached, the Rajasthan Royals. His name was Yashasvi Jaiswal and he was the kid who has just blown Australia out of the first test of the summer.

As the story was told to me, Jaiswal moved to Mumbai with dreams of becoming a cricketer. Initially, he didn’t have a stable place to live and would often sleep at the Azad Maidan cricket ground in Mumbai.

During the day, he would practice cricket, and at night, he would find shelter within the ground, using his kit bag as a pillow and the cricket ground as his home.

To support himself, Jaiswal started selling street food near the ground. He would religiously practice cricket during the day, sell food to earn money and then sleep at the ground at night. This period of his life was marked by extreme hardship and an unbreakable spirit.

Today, his commitment and resilience are paying off. His second innings here was masterful. He is a superstar.

Then there is Rishabh Pant, the audacious wicket-keeper batsman from Roorkee. He was picked up in the IPL auction at the weekend for a record-breaking sum (27 crore or $5.5 million), thankfully by my franchise the Lucknow Super Giants.

Not bad for a young man whose life hung in a precarious balance just two years ago. A devastating and catastrophic car accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway threatened to extinguish his life, not just his cricketing career.

Multiple injuries, including ligament tears, a fractured ankle and severe wounds that required extensive medical intervention had the cricket world praying.

Many would have seen this as a career-ending moment. But Pant, known for his fearless approach on and off the cricket field, transformed this potential tragedy into a continuation of his already extraordinary journey.

In this recent test match, even Sundar Washington taught me a lesson. His selection raised a few eyebrows, as he was picked ahead of Ravi Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja, two of India’s greatest spin bowlers. And yet he contributed to India’s stunning victory.

He, like Pant, Jaiswal and a list of others, symbolises the evolving spirit of Indian cricket. They embody a generation of players who represent more than just cricket talent, they personify the aspirational spirit of New India.

Now, a month or so ago, when New Zealand defeated India at home, the storyline wasn’t as positive as it is this week but be assured that is not from a lack of talent.

Australia now has their backs against the wall and will need some of the spirit displayed by the three players above. They can do it but need renewed determination and commitment to tear the momentum from India’s hands.

Once upon a time, losing Test matches in Perth and Brisbane was unfathomable. After the last two Border-Gavaskar series at home and last summer’s unexpected Test defeat to the West Indies, Australia will be looking for solid performances, especially from their top order.

The potential return of captain Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Mohamad Shami and the return to form of Virat Kohli will intensify the challenge. Australia will know from their last few years that they can overcome anything, but this champion team must lift.

Everyone in Australian cricket will also need to lift in the longer term, not in terms of short-term performance but in lifting their eyes to developing the depth of talent in our system.

The next Steve Smith, Phil Hughes, Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting or Greg Chappell — where are they coming from? We used to have a conveyor belt of stars churning through the system.

Australia is rapidly being shown up and overtaken in this department by the passionate, cricket-loving powerhouse India, both now and in the future.

I am looking forward to seeing what we will do about it.