But from an Australian perspective, this series was a nightmare.
They were the team who longed for this series. They wanted to make a statement that what we witnessed last time India visited Australia was just a mere freak one-off.
And they made that statement when India collapsed in Adelaide.
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The series was tailor-made for Australia and Virat Kohli’s departure after the first Test match was the icing on the cake.
The point here is they were playing with excess baggage, which resulted in their defeat in Melbourne.
Coming to Sydney, all the batsmen got a start but couldn’t capitalise, except Marnus Labuschagne, which resulted in a below-par score.
(Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
But keeping the cricket aside, there were other aspects.
Was Tim Paine in the right frame of mind? You’ve got to doubt it.
Australians don’t play like this. They come charging at you every time they play, but not this time. This resulted in their downfall.
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So what’s next?
I don’t think Tim Paine will get any further chance to be the captain until the South Africa tour. The place where he was given the captaincy might be his last tour as a captain.
Australia must invest for seven to ten years in their captain. Marnus Labuschange and Travis Head are two potential candidates who could take the Australian legacy forward.