As rare as defeats in home Tests might be in recent years, India don’t exactly find themselves in uncharted territory. For the second time this year alone, they have fallen 0-1 behind after the first game.

In January, they were undone by the sweeping and reverse-sweeping brilliance of Ollie Pope, who helped translate a 190-run deficit into a stunning 28-run victory with a monumental 196. India bounced back from that unexpected Hyderabad reversal to carve out a 4-1 triumph despite key personnel dropping off like autumn leaves; it’s precisely that spirit they must now summon after the eight-wicket loss to New Zealand in Bangalore.