Navi Mumbai, Nov. 10: A sudden change in the weather over Navi Mumbai with a balmy sun giving way to hazy skies and later a light drizzle may not have disturbed Australia at practice, but the steady rain that followed in the evening has put Wednesday’s scheduled start in doubt.

Team India, for their part, opted to skip their final practice session here on the day.

Australian fortitude was in full evidence at the DY Patil Stadium nets. The series may have been wrapped up in style but there was no let-up in intensity. Great teams are blessed with the power to stay sharp even when riding the crest of success. The last few months have provided an insight to their work ethic and their ability to pull together despite having key members spending more time on the treatment table than on the field.

For India, a long-standing problem has been poor bench strength and it has been further exposed in these six games. It was especially felt in the bowling department. Zaheer Khan’s absence has hit the team hard.

Even after second-rate performances, senior players like Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh find no threat to their place. The batsmen challenging their spot don’t measure up and the team continue to suffer. It’s important for Sehwag to find his rhythm and range before he shifts to flannels against Sri Lanka. The top-order has delivered, but only in patches.

It will not be fair to say the hosts didn’t try hard but there were patches where they did not try hard enough. To lose two matches with eight required off the last over, shows a fragile mind. A 2-1 lead that looked comfortable at one stage has become 2-4 in a trice. This will be a difficult pill to swallow for Dhoni and his boys.

A team depleted by injury through the tour played the bigger moments better to upset the rock stars.

There was further bad news for the tourists that Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson will miss the game. A Cricket Australia release said on Tuesday that the duo will fly out of India at the earliest "to commence preparations for the Test series (against the West Indies) beginning in Brisbane on November 26". Amidst the gloom, India have found a stable number three in Gautam Gambhir.

It will not be a bad idea to have the left-hander permanently at that slot. Having too many ‘floaters’ is not helping the cause. It is crucial for each member of the team to understand his role. And the dead rubber could be a start. The Australian top-order has not been tested. Conditions here provide a chance for the Indian bowlers to change that a bit.

The seamers will enjoy the heavy conditions courtesy the off-season showers. Keeping wickets intact against the new ball is the key. Both captains did not divulge details on team combination. With the series decided, Sudeep Tyagi might take his first cap. It could also be Sachin Tendulkar’s only chance to entertain the Navi Mumbai crowd in an international. The world record holder also missed the two IPL games here in 2008 owing to injury.

The final ODI at a spanking new venue provides the hosts a wonderful opportunity to redeem their reputation. On the face though, it looks like Ricky Ponting’s men are hungrier.