Adam Gilchrist's long farewell to Australian cricket has ended one game early after
But captain Ricky Ponting maintained afterwards that despite MS Dhoni's blossoming one-day outfit fully deserving its win over the world champions, age was not the primary factor in
The hosts' nine-run loss, which followed India's six-wicket win in game one, called time on the international careers of Gilchrist, 36, and left-arm spinner Brad Hogg, 37, with Ponting afterwards hinting that Australia could learn from India's approach to the triangular tournament.
Gilly's farewell presentation :
"They went with a youth policy for this one-day tour and brought some of the younger players in. The younger players that have arrived have added some energy to their group which is what you need playing one-day cricket, there's no doubt about that," said the Australian captain.
"What they've done probably gives us something to look at down the track."
But he dismissed the notion that
Only three of the side which lost to the tourists - Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson and James Hopes - are under 30.
"I'm not sure if age ever brings you back to the pack. Skills are what bring you back to the pack," Ponting said.
"A lot of our more senior players have still got all the skills that are required to be very good one-day players for
"It's inevitable that there will be some changeover and hopefully when these next couple of new faces come in we can start playing some good cricket again."
Teenage paceman Ishant Sharma, sidelined with a bruised finger, missed the Indian celebrations at the Gabba but another of Dhoni's young guns, Praveen Kumar, adequately filled the breach.
The 21-year-old medium pacer was named man-of-the-match after snapping up the key trio of Gilchrist, Ponting and Clarke in career-best bowling figures of 4-46.
But the Indian skipper was also reluctant to draw comparisons, particularly after sealing an unexpected series whitewash against a backdrop of a frosty relationship with the Australians.
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