MUMBAI, INDIA - NOVEMBER 5: Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath of Australia celebrate with the Border Gavaskar Trophy after winning the series 2 - 1 with team mate Ricky Ponting looking on after day three of the Fourth Test between India and Australia at Wankhede Stadium on November 5, 2004 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)

Former Test great Adam Gilchrist says Australia need to look back at the touring teams of the past and learn from those moments ahead of a trip to the subcontinent to face India next month.

During Australia's 2004 triumph in India, it was actually the pace attack of Jason Gillespie (20 wickets), Glenn McGrath (14) and Michael Kasprowicz (9) who led the Aussies to a 2-1 series win, which was also their last win in the country.

This time around Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird will be the pace trio who lead the squad ahead of the first Test in Pune on February 23, but Australia also have their fair share of spinners in the 16-man squad too.

Nathan Lyon, Steve O'Keefe, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Swepson and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell have all been included in the travelling side, but after failing with the spin in 2001, Gilchrist says the 2004 side flicked the switch and stepped up the pace.

“We ended up totally changing our policy in ‘04,” he said on Sky Sports Radio.

“We went from thinking it all had to be based around spin and going to our quicks (instead).

“Warnie was obviously our key spinner and he did a wonderful job, but in a rare occasion it was almost like he was really tying an end up and it was the quicks who were doing the attacking.

“I don’t know that we’ve got quality of those guys necessarily in bowling ranks at the moment. It was a pretty high quality that was set by those guys.

“I think the squad covers a variety of options and then they’ll get there and have to quickly work out what option they’ll want to go with. Is it spin heavy or is it going to the quicks and plugging an end up with a spinner?

“But the main thing with the quicks was that we went really negative. We started with one slip, a deep point, a deep square leg and just played on the Indians’ egos.

“That was probably the key tactical change we made in that series and it worked nicely. It was a patience game, but it came through.”

Pace has been a shining light for the Australian side in recent tours, as Mitchell Starc took an amazing 24 wickets at 15.16 despite getting swept 3-0 in Sri Lanka in August last year.

Fellow quick Josh Hazlewood believes the three man pace attack should give the selectors enough options on the tour.

"I think three's plenty for a tour of India," Hazlewood said.

"There hasn't been many quicks go there and be successful.

"I think we can take something out of the way Starcy bowled in Sri Lanka on similar wickets.

"He sort of takes the pitch out of the equation sometimes with how full and fast he bowls.

"We don't all have that luxury. But we've got to find a way to be successful as a group of quicks, as well as with the spinners."