The light went out of the match. The Indians were missing the spark and the spunk that the Australian batsmen showed on Monday. The electric energy, the bubbling enthusiasm and an eagerness to fight were missing in the Indian batsmen.
They were as defeated by the seaming, bouncing track as they were by their own lack of application and positive approach, the twin qualities that are needed to counter the challenge posed by a firm track.
After Monday's sumptuous fare that the Australians provided and the stomach shown by the Indians to fightback, Tuesday's play was like eating pudding without any sugar. It was tasteless and bland.
At the end of only the second day's play, one is almost tempted to write this epitaph to the match: India lost the Nagpur Test against Australia even before a ball was bowled because they were forced to play on a wicket that they are not used to playing at home.
India's day began with not even a hint of the gloom that lay ahead. It, in fact, looked bright and sunny when they first got the Australians all out for 398 and then, Virender Sehwag exploded in the second over of the innings.