Australian captain Ricky Ponting has likened playing in Sydney to Mumbai after the SCG became more masala than meat pies on Sunday night.
Local crowds are renowned for making life difficult for touring sides but the sea of sky blue supporters in Sydney suggested the traditional home ground advantage was slipping.
With numbers dwindling as the tri-series reaches its expiration date next week, the noise and enthusiasm of Sri Lankan and Indian crowds this season has become more pronounced.
"It is a bit strange you have to stop and think sometimes where you are actually playing," said Ponting following the 18-run win over India.
"Am I playing in Sydney or am I playing in Mumbai?
"It was probably the same the other night in Melbourne there is a huge Sri Lankan community in Melbourne.
"I guess that is because these last few games the crowds are a little bit down and the Indian fans are never going to miss a game where ever the game is.
"The Australian fans might be saving their money up for the finals.
"Whenever the Indians did something well tonight there was a huge cheer and us Australians had to keep battling around to get a good cheer from the crowd."
Indian fan Susie Thomas believed the SCG crowd was equally split between Indian and Australian supporters.
"I think it is because we are seeing some competition and India have been giving Australia a run for their money," she said.
"They are a young team and a bit exciting and the young bowlers have been doing well and Indians by their nature, love their cricket.
"The team also won the Twenty20 world championship and appeal to young people I think."
Indian and Sri Lankan crowds have traditionally been scattered in small pockets at Australian grounds.
But the sight of whole bays of supporters chanting out for Indian players and going wild as Robin Uthappa mounted a late charge showed a definite change.
When the likes of Australia's Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds went to the crease, the booing from the Indian supporters overshadowed the home support.
Ponting and Symonds have been involved in some of the most spicy incidents against India this summer and the fans expressed their feelings.
"Ponting, because of the controversy, he's not very popular in India at the moment," Thomas said.