Three of the most impactful members of the team were not in the first choice 11 at the start of the summer: Scott Boland, Sydney debutant Beau Webster and Konstas.

Boland’s phenomenal series, 21 wickets at 13.19, striking every 29 balls, made life much easier for Cummins (25 wickets at 21.36) and covered seamlessly for Josh Hazlewood. Webster was composure personified in Sydney, contributing sensible runs, tight overs and sharp catches. And Konstas’ Boxing Day blast will go down as a turning point in the series as a whole, as well as pointing to a fruitful future.

The inclusion of Konstas also contributed to the box office appeal of a summer that brought remarkable crowds, rounded off by three consecutive days of more than 47,000 spectators packing the SCG. Among other things, outgoing Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley has undeniably enhanced his reputation as a major events specialist.

Four years ago, when Australia tripped up against India on home soil, there had been valid criticism of the team’s failure to refresh the XI at the back end of the series. Then coach Justin Langer protested that it was difficult to tell senior players they could not play, but Australia did just that with Mitch Marsh here.

More broadly, the emergence of Konstas and Webster from domestic ranks this season has helped widen the field of options from which Bailey and company can choose in coming years.

Tempting as it may have been to panic when India won the first Test in Perth by a massive margin, the Australians were able to recalibrate calmly, in much the same fashion as they had done for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

“You can very easily panic in those situations and change a lot,” Cummins said. “I think it’s more important to realise we’re still number one in the world, we’re a very good team, stay strong.

“You need more than 11 players. You need an amazing squad, amazing support staff, to be able to win everywhere in the world. I think that’s what we’ve been able to do. An amazing series in England, won the World Test Championship in England, but also some of those subcontinent tours. So that consistency over a few years to do that with a very similar squad has been massive.”