“I pulled up a bit sore after the last game, to the point where it was the right call to sit out today,” Marsh said.

“We did have a lot of moving parts these last couple of weeks, but we had guys step up for us and I’m sure everyone is looking forward to getting home, a bit of a reset, an opportunity to go play for our states, and then it’s a huge summer.”

Another West Australian allrounder looms as a contingency option. Hardie did very little wrong and a lot right during the England series, popping up with handy runs and key wickets throughout.

Hardie, 25, has shown himself to be durable as well as talented, averaging better than 40 with the bat in the Sheffield Shield and 28 with the ball. While his bowling lacks Green’s velocity, it is hard to see him not being at least included as a squad member this summer.

Then there is the batting order, which seemed to be leaning towards an Usman Khawaja/Travis Head opening combination with Steve Smith returning to a spot in the middle order alongside Green.

Here, too, there will now be renewed complications. Green had, by dint of his match and series winning century against New Zealand in Wellington, made himself look the most indispensable, long-term member of a top six that has two members over 35 and three more over 30.

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Were he to be missing, the whole balance would need to be reassessed. With Smith back at four, would Head be better off maintaining his livewire role at five with a specialist opener at the top? Calls for the return of Cameron Bancroft would grow louder if so.

At the same time, Marsh’s role will require some introspection in terms of his best fit in the side if he is bowling very little. He has been outspoken in expressing reluctance to move to the top of the order, even though it is Greg Chappell’s judgment that Marsh would have the skills to do so.

Big picture questions about the wider purpose of context-free bilateral tours among cricket’s wealthy nations will be sharpened. Because he was injured in England in September, Green is highly unlikely to be at his best for Australian cricket’s biggest days in December and January.

Test captain Pat Cummins missed the England ODI series expressly to ensure he was at his best for the home summer’s looming championship bout with India, and batting firecracker Travis Head was carefully managed for the same reason.

For India, the sight of the World Test Champions facing so many reshuffle prospects will be a source of optimism.

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