Australia's veteran cricket team is facing deaths and is haunted by its failure to transition sooner

On the eve of the first Test, ahead of a blockbuster Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australian captain Pat Cummins wore a toothy grin during almost all his media engagements, which lasted more than 30 minutes.

He's always calm, but Cummins looked almost eerily relaxed. You could call it an extremely confident feeling. It was a clear atmosphere for Australia as they prepared for the series opener.

By the end of the first test, as he stood in front of the press for the autopsy, Cummins was still smiling. But through gritted teeth. Australia had one of its worst home performances in years after defeat to underdog India.

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For a variety of reasons, cricket in Australia feels worse than it did decades ago. The weight of the national team is less than it once was. But when they face a blow, especially at home, the response is still a blow. There is more attention when things are going badly.

Australia are under scrutiny like they probably haven't been since an infamous debacle in Hobart in 2016 that led to then-CEO James Sutherland reprimanding the team in the dressing rooms, with captain Steve Smith near tears as he addressed the media.

Things aren't that bad yet, but aging Australia is in a precarious position where things could go downhill quickly. Commentary has been quick to comment on Australia's preparation – or lack thereof – following a break from Test cricket. It has even been suggested that Australia, once a macho team that mocked the opposition, has been “too nice”.

Amid a terrible dip in form, Marnus Labuschagne has endured most of the heat after a dreadful performance that left him looking completely bereft.

Not long after being sacked for a terrible misjudgment of Jasprit Bumrah, Labuschagne was in a vehicle leaving the bowels of Optus Stadium, but the exit was packed with Indian fans waiting for their heroes.

They soon noticed Labuschagne among a few other Australian players and, being cricket enthusiasts first and foremost, the fans cheered loudly. It would have been a humiliating experience for Labuschagne, given his rotten state of affairs, but he waved his hand lovingly out the window to demonstrate that his famously effervescent spirit was not yet completely broken.

With Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith in the twilight of their careers, while the flamboyant batting of Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh cannot always be relied on, Labuschagne should actually shore up the batting order.

At 30, Labuschagne should be in his absolute prime as a batsman, but he is hanging on by a thread as the Australian cupboard is empty. The lack of options in Australia means they are likely to have an unchanged line-up for the second Test in Adelaide.

Although Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald have backed the team's preparation with this series meticulously planned for months, the hierarchy could have been ruined had they not moved on from opener David Warner much sooner.

Last summer, Warner had a long-winded farewell, which no one really seemed to want, but Australia should have backed Cameron Bancroft at the time, given his then dominance of Sheffield Shield cricket.

But Australia went ahead with Warner's farewell tour, which was rammed down the throat by a disinterested crowd, and they paid the price with new opener Nathan McSweeney, who is ranked at No. 3 or 4 in Shield cricket given the impossible task of leading to run Bumrah in his initiation to test cricket.

After being shunned last season, Bancroft suffered a horrific dip in form for Western Australia to start this domestic season and dashed his hopes of a Test return.

He finally broke his drought with a century against South Australia the day after the first Test concluded. Bancroft could feature later in the series, but for now Australia will return to the same XI in what could take the form of a potentially era-defining second Test.

If Australia loses, the end could have come for this team that has achieved much but never quite been able to cement true greatness. While Warner ended his career in fairytale fashion despite prolonged struggles in the backend, Australia's current veterans may not get similar send-offs.