The message in the denouement at Melbourne and Sydney has been loud and clear. The portents are grim. The No. 2 ranking, after enjoying numero uno status, in Tests is on the line and fans are jittery.

With the India-Australia encounter on the cards and with some calling it the 'Aagnipath' series, sports analysts worldwide are going gaga about the possible outcome. Promos of Sourav Ganguly and Steve Waugh talking about the intensity of the always-hard-fought contest between the two teams have begun. I, however, have this numbness considering the two main protagonists of this clash - Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds - will be missed badly.