The tourists have arrived in Brisbane full of confidence as they begin a three Twenty20, four Test and two one-day international tour.

India have never won a Test series in Australia, drawing three and losing eight of their 11 campaigns.

Vice-captain Rohit Sharma, however, feels something special is about to happen given Australia's woeful recent form.

"It's the one place that we want to leave our mark and do well as a unit," Sharma said on Monday.

"The last time we played Test series here - although we lost two games and we drew one game - I thought there were a few close games being played.

"We want to make it count this time around.

"There's a real good feeling inside the group in all three formats - the motivation of the team is to just try and seize all the moments and win tournaments.

"When you do well in places like Australia you feel good as a team."

India's summer Down Under begins in Brisbane but not, as is usually the case for touring teams, in a Test.

The first of three T20s will be held at the Gabba on Wednesday night, instead of beginning their Test campaign at a venue where Australia haven't lost since 1988 in red-ball cricket.

The Test series will commence in Adelaide but Sharma said the tourists will still have to overcome a hostile pitch when they travel to Perth's Optus Stadium for the second Test later in December.

"It's either Perth or Brisbane. India has always played at Perth or Brisbane and this time around we're at Perth," Sharma said.

"Those two conditions are obviously very challenging. Australia has bowlers who are very tall and extract those conditions, use them to their advantage.

"Indian batsman generally are not that tall.

"Obviously it's not that easy for us but, again, all the guys are quite determined to change things around this time."

Meanwhile India enjoyed an early small victory on Monday, with their three-day tour match match at the SCG against a Cricket Australia XI extended to four - now scheduled to start next Wednesday.

"We have worked with the BCCI around a request for additional match preparation ... and were happy to accommodate this by scheduling an extra day as part of this fixture, at the same venue of the fourth Test match of the series," a CA spokesman said.

Australian Associated Press