But it can also be argued that the Bangalore Test wasn’t even played on a typical sub-continental pitch. First and foremost, the seamers took 24 of the 30 wickets that fell, a statistic that goes against the basic character of Indian conditions. And the two umpires had to tackle many more decisions about how much a ball was swinging or reverse swinging rather bat-pad shouts, the bread and butter of slow bowlers in the sub-continent.

Australian captain Ponting had said ahead of the tour that his team had a few new plans in place to tackle India in India. Slowing the Indian batsmen down, it seems, will play a large part in it. Of course, it could also be, as Zaheer Khan said, that they’re just being defensive.