The biggest difference between India and Australia at the Adelaide Oval was Mitchell Starc. No one swung the ball as often, and no one questioned the technique and determination of batsmen as often as he did, because no one hit the full length as often. He showed India what they were missing – a full-length swing metronome, a swing dealer. They used to be plentiful. The lost guy of Kapil Dev, Madan Lal, Karsan Ghavri, Manoj Prabhakar and more recently Praveen Kumar, who viciously swung the ball in both directions when the conditions combined. It was a heartwarming memory in a nightmarish series as Kapil and Prabhakar teased and tripped up Australia’s top flight during the 1991-92 tour.

India no longer has such a dog in its stable. The closest was Akash Deep. They clearly missed a trick by not playing it in Adelaide. Bowling full isn’t his default setting either. But he does it better than someone like Harshit Rana. He can swing the ball, he can also spin the ball. Rana was the perfect choice for the surface in Perth, possessing bounce and pace. Of course the lengths suited him. But Adelaide under lights was different. India needed someone who could capitalize on the movement that the new pink ball created as dusk fell. Akash Deep’s skills suited the conditions better than Rana’s. He was also India’s most hostile fast bowler after Jasprit Bumrah in the home season.

But in most places, with the possible exception of England, the busy direct agents are preferred. They are workhorses with speed and energy. They’re a fail-safe option on most surfaces, except that in conditions where the ball moves worryingly in the air, the more humble swing artists become a deadlier proposition. Even if they don’t have Starc’s speed, they could break through attacks, especially an attack as confusing as the current one in Australia. There is an acute shortage of them worldwide.

It’s undoubtedly hard to dissect a winning combination, but the right bowler for the right pitch could make a big difference. It is the same folly that India committed in the 2018-19 Perth Test when they chose an all-speed attack on a surface that ultimately helped the spinners. India cannot undo the past but can learn from past mistakes when they arrive in Brisbane for the next Test.