For the first time in nearly five years — since New Zealand in 2002-03 — India's famous line-up failed to top 200 in both completed innings of a Test. As damning an indictment as can be of the lack of batting spunk, that statistic is also a wonderful tribute to a new-look Aussie attack seeking to plug the void created by the retirements of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

Only Brett Lee, with 62 Tests under his belt, can profess to any worthwhile international experience. The Boxing Day Test was Mitchell Johnson's third, Stuart Clark's 12th and Brad Hogg's fifth, apart from being his first in more than four years. That added up to a grand total of 78 Tests up against the might of the Indian batting. Just to put things in perspective, Sachin Tendulkar alone had played 142 Tests before Melbourne! Between them, Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman boasted 441 Test appearances, yet they were comprehensively out-thought and outfoxed by a bunch of relative international novices.

In the post McGrath-Warne era, Australia have played three Tests — including two against Sri Lanka last month — and won each by a country mile. Apprehensions regarding the strength of the Aussie bowling in the permanent absence of their two most prolific wicket-takers have proved ill-founded. That the pacy, exciting Shaun Tait is unable to break in is in itself a huge compliment to the quality of Australia's bowling arsenal.

“What we have lost in McGrath and Warne, we've gained in a few other guys doing different roles,” Ricky Ponting had proclaimed, a day before the first Test. It was no empty boast, was it?!

The current crop is aware that there is a long distance to travel before they are spoken of in the same awe-struck breath as a McGrath or a Warne.

“We are trying to be the best we can be, and we are backing each other up,” observed Johnson. “Those guys were absolutely great bowlers. Hopefully one day, we can be like that too, but these are early days and there is a long way to go.

“When you get in to the Aussie team, you've got to come in and just be yourself. There is no point trying to copy someone else or try anything different. You try and bowl in a Test like you do for your state, because it is that kind of bowling that has won you a Test spot,“ the left-arm paceman added.

Lee has positively relished the role of spearhead after having played second fiddle to McGrath for first eight years. He is bowling better than ever, and doesn't necessarily need 22 wickets from his last three Tests to buttress that fact. Able to bowl quick and get the ball to swing late, the New South Welshman can be handful even on slowish tracks as at the MCG. He is the undisputed leader of the pack, setting the tone for the likes of Johnson — himself pacier than he looks until you eye the speed gun — and Clark.

Tait will get his chance sooner rather than later — maybe as early as Perth a fortnight from now. It's a fearful prospect — three out-and-out quicks and the unsung workhorse in Clark working batsmen over relentlessly.
If they can unleash mayhem on a less than helpful surface, it boggles the mind to imagine what damage they can inflict when allowed to operate in favourable conditions.

The ultimate encomium came from bowling coach Troy Cooley, the man who masterminded England's Ashes heroics at home in 2005. Cooley compared this pace foursome to the quartet of Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones that undermined the Aussies two and a half years ago. “I'd say these guys are equally as good (as those English pacers),” Cooley observed. “The one thing you'd say is that there is a lot of variation and a lot of quality. It is an attack with a lot of flexibility and class.”

Certainly not music to opposition ears. And we haven't even had 'chin music' yet!