There was a time when India had the wood on Australia in Test cricket at Melbourne by winning the 1977-78 and 1980-81 Tests. Now, Virat Kohli & Co await India's first Test win in the Victorian city since 1981. The aftershock of this week's Perth Test threatens to peel off the significance of winning the opening game at Adelaide. The same men, who were draped in glory for becoming the first Indian side to win an opening Test of a series in Australia, now look vulnerable. And all that advantage India had over Australia being without Steven Smith and David Warner is now being chipped at swiftly as the host bowling attack looks more dangerous than what Indian supporters probably expected.

More crushing the defeat, the harder it is to feel optimistic. But the series-changing moment could well be close at hand. If Kohli's men believe they are mentally tougher than their opponents, they will end 2018 on a winning note. For that to happen, there will have to be multiple grand performances, triumphs over pain and the X factor that goes beyond hard work and commitment at Melbourne. This is what happened in 1981, when Sunil Gavaskar's Indians beat Greg Chappell's Australians to square the series. India lost the opening Test at Sydney and performed better in Adelaide where the tailenders contributed to a thrilling draw.