It doesn’t feel like all that long ago India were rolled for 36 in Adelaide and anything less than a 4-0 series win for Australia would have looked ordinary.
But here we are, just a few weeks later, and India will return home with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, having pulled off one of the greatest underdog victories in cricketing history.
In fact, it’ll go down as potentially Australia’s worst-ever home summer. A 2-1 loss to a side with more players out than available. The tourists brought a mammoth squad to Australia and used virtually every single player.
Thank goodness they did, because it has given us one hell of a story – one which Aussie, Indian and neutral fans alike will tell for decades to come.
An unheralded bowling attack, missing potentially seven who would be ahead of all of them, limiting the Aussies at their Brisbane fortress. An international off spinner who hadn’t bowled in a first class game for years holding his own, while an attack with a combined 13 wickets in Test cricket before the match managed to take 20.
The Gabba, a ground Australia haven’t lost at for more than three decades. The stats behind this victory are simply enormous, to the point where they almost don’t make sense.
For Australia, this was the unloseable Test. At full strength, they somehow found a way though, not applying themselves with the bat or the ball, and being soundly beaten in all aspects over a demanding four-Test series.
The only time Australia held a momentary candle over the Indians was when they were trounced in South Australia. But even that simply turned the tide of a Test which had mainly been played in India’s favour.
Pat Cummins. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
And so, after a record-breaking, history-making victory for India with more storylines than you could poke a stick at, Australia are left to reset and rebuild with a series against South Africa in an undetermined location on the horizon.
If they thought playing India was tough, South Africa will bring an equal challenge, looking to build on the mental wounds inflicted by the current group of plucky tourists.
There were only two bright spots out of this Test for Australia – Josh Hazlewood taking five wickets in the first innings and Marnus Labuschagne scoring a century.
But like they have done all series, Australia struggled to play with any real intent. They failed to push the pace in the first innings, failed to get their bowling rotations right when India came out to bat, and then let the game amble on during Day 4.
As it turns out, Tim Paine not declaring was the right option, because even the score on the board wasn’t enough – but the kicker is that it should have been.
The pitch wasn’t that easy to bat on, but India – led by the gutsy Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant – found a way to make it look so as they led their team to a famous win.
Nathan Lyon again struggled to make things happen on a final-day pitch, finishing the series with just nine wickets at 55, while Mitchell Starc, who many had called for to be dropped before the Test (including this columnist) went wicketless at almost five runs per over yesterday, to finish the series with 11 wickets at a tick over 40.
He had no control over his line or length, no accuracy or consistency, and combined with dropped catches and some, ah, let’s call it unAustralian-like fielding, let the game at first crawl, then run away from them at warp speed.
Tim Paine’s captaincy and keeping has to be also up for debate, and surely he and a few others may be staring at the end of their Test careers.
Whichever way you spin it, losing the series in this fashion was an unmitigated disaster.
And it’s after series like this when heads roll.
Tim Paine (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Sure, the selectors have to be careful to not just wipe the team completely, but with Pat Cummins, Steve Smith and Labuschagne suitable leadership material, while also having the experience and expertise of David Warner (in a non-official leadership capacity) in the field, the time for Paine to captain the country is gone.
His keeping hasn’t been up to scratch and some of his bowling changes have been baffling, including not using Cummins during the final session of the Sydney Test, or allowing Labuschagne and Cameron Green to bowl just four overs combined during the fifth day’s play in Brisbane.
It was unreal that he refused to go to other options when his main bowlers simply couldn’t get the job done against Pujara, Pant and earlier, the young gun Shubman Gill who made a fabulous 91.
Again, finding a balance in shaking the side up will be critical, as will form in the Sheffield Shield when it returns following the Big Bash, but Australia can’t afford to wheel out the same XI next time they take to the field in whites.
Players like Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, James Pattinson, Matt Renshaw, and even Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja will be gunning for spots.
The only thing for sure is that, surely, a movie is already in production of one of the greatest upsets in cricket history.
That, and that the Aussie team have more challenges ahead. Challenges they should face under new management.
Fox
Roar Guru
oh yeh its not in India but England now - 5 tests as well - of course just before the test championship!
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I wished Clarrie were here to fix Lyon up.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
You undersell Tubby there. He was an excellent tactical captain and had great ppl skills
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
My point General, about Paine, is his woeful field marshalling. This is now compounded by his formerly excellent work behind the stumps which is now suffering. ------ He is moribund and scleric as the fielding captain. Field strategy and tactics are the pre-eminent responsibility of a captain. Everything else is secondary. Paine fails this most important job.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Carey in paine . Maxwell, mcdermott or inglis.for wades place . Would.make for an exciting side with huge depth . What is australia and CA doing after closing a gabba test and a series .
Behaving like a stupid schoolboy without childish rants is not a good leader of men.
BBL is nonsense, but it is nonsense that for some strange reason, advertisers tell TV they want it -- but from my circle of friends at least, no one watches it.
RooBoy - what planet are you on mate?
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I don't blame it all on paine . Im angry the selectors didn't target starc and lyons poor averages at mcg and scg for second time in two years . I've been looking at both those bowlers on and off for some time and it's concerning they don't know how to rotate them effectively and now there may well be some poor form or niggles with one or both . As for the bats exactly the same problem as the ashes . I was concerned last summer papered over the big cracks and it seems that way now we have played quality opposition . If pucovski can shine and still early days then we have a few questions marks around Warner and certainly his longevity beyond next summer . So we need to unearth am opener unless we accept labuschagne is effectively a brilliant opener which he is as well as a number 1 . It really means we have room to improve massively in two middle order batting positions assuming lanuschagne can open If one of the openers are just too dire . If you take in to accounts CA won't play elderly players on form then on the shield averages inglis is next with bat , and carey is the new elect keeper . They may just suprise us a combination together . It seems harris wades days are numbered . Langer is a faithful selector and sticks with players so he may well revert to head who has the talent but just hasn't put it together really or lacked discipline but the weakest spots all round based on various criteria and age are harris , wade paine starc and lyon . It's those five positions that could use instant change , baring in mind with covid and bbl there's so little opportunity to make change happen
U
Roar Rookie
I think he should be given more time as keeper with Carey coming as a batsman. Then Alex takes over in a year or so
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Read my post on the "No Paine, No gain" thread on this site. Seven likes, as their are other valid reasons as to why we lost this series. Don't blame it all on Paine. Inept batting and poor bowling as shown in the averages are the main reason. Check the stats.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Once again though jeff it's not certain that smith knew sandpaper was being procured . It has a stench of warner all over it . If smith didn't stop to speak to warner having a suspicious conversation perhaps it's clear he had no intent to use such a foreign surface . On that basis smith handled things more negligently after the fact . I can forgive him for that and so should everyone else . One would expect the vice captain doesn't need monitoring and in any event warner was often so out of control and unintelligent . I think the media got it's pound of flesh and the ban was huge . Smith is fine to captain and as we both once said he will be stronger for the experience as captain.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Just can't go for Smith for me. He was only appointed Australian captain in the first place because he was the best batsman - typical Australian approach. Showed nothing special as a leader with the talent he had at his disposal, and when a crisis moment arose, he not only failed miserably at marshalling around his team mates (by throwing one of them under the proverbial bus), he was instrumental -by absence of leadership skills in putting a stop to it - in the whole sorry situation occurring. TBH, IMO, there have been few Test captains in history who have disqualified themselves more from ever holding the job again - perhaps with the exception of Hansie Cronje and Mohammad Azharuddin
Pierro
Roar Rookie
What’s a shame is we have two of the best bowlers In The world and two of the best bats . All can mentor the rest of the team . Warner for another year probably as tests are sa and aus based where he goes well providing he gets over the injury . It’s the time to groom carey inglis swepson neser and rotate Patto and lyon In where appropriate with maxwell. Starc.for.dsy.night pink tests . Some of the newcomers can’t do any worse than starc lyon and paine that’s for sure . Whiteman may.be a newbie to groom instead of harris and labs can and has been opening of need be . So few shield opps we need to take this opp for a minor rebuild and not remain stagnant . The results haven’t been good enough jeff
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Correction CA unlikely to change They are useless and pc paine club will hurt our direction further . CA will.listen to langer as well
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Neither Langer nor his fellow selectors appoint the Australian captain. That is well and truly the decision of the Board of Cricket Australia.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Many calling for paines head . I warned you paine would cost Australia back in the ashes and as soon as we got tough opposition and pressure he’s cracked , as he was poor tactically at scg and gabba . I’m now concerned he’s lost it keeping too , very poor drop of pant at scg allowed pant a few more hours at crease which was cricitcal for india on drawing that test. It’s time General . We have the same amazing four players who can usher in the next gen . Pucov and green look promising . Feasibly we can drop paine and wade for both carey and inglis and get new keeper and top.bat in as understudy.. inglis is great with bat .exciting
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Mark waugh agrees there is no other option but smith for now . Added incentive is he will want to turn things around in sth Africa what better motivation . Pretty sure langer a s selectors.will be gutless though and may not change . Here's hoping . Big opp for aus to get a few younger ones in now and let the two best bowlers and two of the best bars reach the new comers
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I think there are natural she constraints . Smith is 31 going on 32 and a few years may be where he peaks out but cummins isn't ideal as a bowler and also gives him some.more time and time for labuschagne or a green to work their way up and gain valuable experience or time for head to get his act together with the bat
Jeff
Roar Rookie
So, after having the captaincy taken away from him once, you think Smith would happily take on the captaincy again for 18 months before having to give it up again in favour of someone else, and groom them during that 18 month period? Sounds like a recipe for destructive team harmony to me.