Team India were beaten black and blue in the first Pink Ball Test Down Under in Adelaide on Saturday.
All day long, cricket fans around the world were hammering the Virat Kohli-led side after they lost in dramatic fashion. Day Three of the first Test was literally rocking, as the Aussie fast bowling machine comprising Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins decapitated the India batting line-up.
There was swing and seam movement for the Aussie quick bowlers who showed that they can do a lot with the Pink Ball. For all those who may be wondering what the colour of the cricket ball can do, Pink sure had the Indians weep.
Shot out for a total less than 42, a figure which has been associated with dubious Indian cricket for almost five decades, the total of 36 on Saturday was a cruel joke. Barring opener Mayank Agarwal who scored nine runs, the rest were made to look club class.
That Australia won by eight wickets was significant as this sets the tone for the hosts in what was expected to be a competitive series. Till Friday, it looked like the Indian bowlers were in command, what with R.Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah bowling their hearts out.
People even talked of the wicket seeming to aid spin!
Oh, forget spin of the ball, Indian heads were spinning, on and off the field on Saturday morning. The beastly accurate bowling by the two Aussie artists of speed showed that there is a big difference between winning an ODI series and what pristine Test match cricket is all about.
There were nasty comments all over for the Indian team, on air, on social media, on web. Even the British media was gaga over the Aussie bowling and tore the spineless Indian performance apart.
To be sure, the jokes on Virat Kohli proceeding on leave have begun. He had applied for paternity leave towards the end of October. Fans were asking each other if Kohli would stay back in the light of such a brittle performance, where there was no dignity left.
Well, Kohli returns to India soon, even as romantic relics who love Test cricket started making comparisons between him and Sachin Tendulkar! The bad thing about those who watch cricket passionately is they are ruthless when it comes to comparisons and expressing their feelings.
Would Tendulkar not have batted more bravely than Kohli? Does India have the stomach to fight in Tests or are they just happy with IPL performances? Or do the Indians limit themselves to performing only in the shorter formats?
There will be questions galore between now and the second Boxing Day Test which will be played at the MCG. It seems like a long break, suddenly, but spare a thought for the man in command from tonight.
Yes, stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane will have to shoulder the load every which way. He has to bat, he has to show leadership skills, he has to keep the flock together. He will be under great scrutiny every day from now on.
And yes, what will be the combination for the second Test. Well, Prithvi Shaw was a disaster and the flaws in his technique against the incoming sharp deliveries has become the talking point. He deserves to be dropped like old man Wriddhiman Saha, a dud with the bat.
There are serious problems who will open at the top. There are gaps in the middle order to fill with Kohli out of the series. There are problems with Shami injured.
And yes, Rohit Sharma cannot be fast-tracked into the side for the second Test. By the time his quarantine period is over, India may be 0-2 down in the Test series.
Anyone still wondering why India resisted playing Pink Ball Test cricket under lights Down Under? All the answers were provided on Saturday when the ball and the bowlers showed who were the masters on the field.
Well done Aussies, you were just ruthless.