Australian quick Josh Hazlewood has warned India’s historic Test series defeat to New Zealand could “awaken a sleeping giant” as Rohit Sharma and his teammates try to resurrect for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Hazlewood spoke warily of the Indians after they slumped to a 3-0 Test series loss on home soil for the first time, which prompted Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar to call for “introspection”.

India has won the past two Test series it’s played on Australian soil, held in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 summers, but is in dire straits ahead of the five-Test series beginning in Perth on November 22.

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“It might awaken a sleeping giant, so to speak. We’ll see that when they come out,” Hazlewood told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“It’s obviously better them losing 3-0 than winning 3-0, easily. The confidence might have taken a bit of a hit.

“A lot of them have been out here, but there’s a few batters who haven’t, so they’ll be a bit unsure of what to expect.

“I don’t think you can read too much into it.

“The results are obviously good for us in a way.”

Prior to the Black Caps’ Indian whitewash, India had only ever lost every match of a home Test series on one occasion, when Hansie Cronje skippered South Africa to a 2-0 triumph in 2000.

A poll on cricinfo.com voted the Kiwis’ win the biggest Test series upset of the 21st century.

“Credit to the Kiwi boys,” Hazlewood said.

“They played outstanding cricket. To win 3-0 in India is unbelievable. It’s hard enough to win one game there, let alone every match of the series.”

Hazlewood spoke to The Sydney Morning Herald after NSW drew with Queensland in the Sheffield Shield on Monday.

The 33-year-old Test veteran went wicketless in the Sydney match, registering figures of 0-57 from 24 overs in NSW’s only innings in the field, but said he was pleased with how he fared.

“I pretty much got out what I needed … Very happy with how I bowled,” Hazlewood said.

“Body felt surprisingly good. The longer I went, I think the better that I felt, and the rhythm was there.”

As Hazlewood toiled away for NSW, captain Pat Cummins rescued Australia with a knock of 32 in the first of three one-dayers against Pakistan.