If Australia was stung by being outfielded by India on Friday its decisive 65-run win last night was the perfect riposte.
The infusion of old for young - excepting Brad Hogg - in the Australian team from the Twenty20 international to the rain-affected ODI tri-series opener at the MCG theoretically should have hindered the home team's attempt to at least match the Indians in the field.
Instead, Australia's oldest player, Ricky Ponting, provided the typically sure hands that removed two of India's most dangerous batsmen - Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
Stand-in wicketkeeper Matthew Wade's 67 at the top and David Hussey's electric 61 not out at the end took Australia to 5-216 after its 32-over allocation, an impressive comeback after it was languishing at 3-25 after 10 overs, just before the 187-minute rain delay.
Two of the four wickets India ceded in the first 12 overs, on the way to being dismissed for 151, were regulation catches for debutant Wade.
The only thing regulation about Ponting's, both from backward point, was that it would have surprised no one to see the veteran snaring such chances.
In the second over Tendulkar drove a wide ball from Mitchell Starc behind point off the front foot that Ponting dived forward to grasp just above the turf.
Ten overs later Kohli, poised to thrive after advancing to 31, blasted Clint Mckay off the back foot.
Even though Ponting was almost running in from the catching position, such was his enthusiasm, his momentum could not undermine his vice-like grip that brought the wicket.
When the excellent McKay (4-20) in the same over snared Rohit Sharma, who had shared a half-century partnership with Kohli, for 21, India had slumped to 4-65 and was devoid of inspiration.
Two of the only batsmen to make inroads thereafter, MSDhoni (29) and Ravindra Jadeja (19), both fell to outfield catches - Mike Hussey's of Jadeja was particularly impressive - that on most other occasions would have cleared the boundary rope.
Australia's openers Wade and David Warner, after being sent in by India captain Dhoni, were surprisingly content with either sitting on the accurate Indian seamers or nurdling them behind the wicket for singles.
The excellent bowling of Vinay Kumar (3-21) allowed India to snare Warner (6) and Ponting (2) cheaply.
Even with only two fielders out for the first 10 overs Australia conceded a mammoth 43 dot balls. India's superiority was so pronounced that even when the power play ended the usually conservative Dhoni kept all but two fielders inside the circle.
It took until just before a three-hour rain delay for Australia to break the shackles when Wade clubbed a four and a six in the same over.
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