The talk, then, was about how Bazball could bulldoze India, how the sweep and its variations could blunt Ashwin & Co, and how the inexperienced batting line-up may not be up to the task. India were missing seniors, among them Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Shami. It was in this scenario that the youngsters put their hands up. Jaiswal, all of 22, came to the party with 655 runs at an average of 93.57. Shubham Gill scored 342 runs at 48.85. Dhruv Jurel showed he has nerves of ice on his way to making 175 runs at 87.50. Sarfaraz Khan’s debut will be remembered for the two fifties he scored when the hosts were in trouble. And Akash Deep’s spell was worth its weight in gold at Ranchi.

Granted, England’s attack wasn’t great for the conditions, but the determination shown by India’s young bunch augurs well for the future. India’s older pros are not in their prime anymore, and this is probably the right time to start preparing the Next Gen for the big show. It helps that this generation hasn’t grown up trying to find its place in the world game. These players are sure of where they are, and where they want to be. India won’t mind that at all.