Finish up with the fast-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who was sent home unable to bowl after dominating the preceding one-day series with the bat, and you have an entire India XI of fine players missing by the time Brisbane rolled around. The five-bowler attack for that match had four Tests and 11 wickets between them. Australia’s four bowlers had taken more than 1,000.
This was the context in which India went to a venue where the home team had not lost in 33 years. It was the context in which India bowled out Australia in both innings at the Gabba, something that had happened in two other matches in those decades. And it was the context in which the batting side of India’s operation decided to charge down 328 in the fourth innings to win the match and the series.