Umpires at the T20 World Cup will be issued with helmets to prevent head injuries from the blows of hard-hitting batsmen and Australia's bowlers, in particular Nathan Lyon, joined those needing protective apparatus when India recorded a crushing 27-run victory at the MCG last night.
The crowd of 58,787 were short-changed when Australia took the field without Steve Smith and Dave Warner in a savagely under-strength side. 
Crazed international scheduling meant the host nation's most dynamic players were unavailable because they were packing their bags for this morning's flight to New Zealand. Another B-grade Australia team will play the final match of the series at the SCG tomorrow evening but after Aaron Finch's injury, the people's choice, Usman Khawaja, must be on the verge of an overdue call-up.
Chasing 185 for victory without the services of the hottest batsman in world cricket, the keenly available but unwanted Khawaja, Finch did his job by bludgeoning 78 from 48 deliveries. Chewing gum like Viv Richards in his prime, benefiting from schoolyard fielding by the Indians, who spilled four catches in as many overs, Finch earn himself a degree of job security amid the groundswell of support for Khawaja to be ushered into the T20 fold.
But in a twist to the selection tail, Finch hobbled off with a hamstring strain that must surely pave the way for Khawaja's inclusion tomorrow night.
Finch and Shaun Marsh made 94 for the opening wicket but Marsh's departure for a run-a-ball 23 triggered the match-defining collapse.
Chris Lynn and Glenn Maxwell made single-figure contributions and Shane Watson fell for 15 as Finch was stranded without the support he both required and deserved. Australia crawled to 8-157.
Ravi Jadeja's catch off his own bowling to dismiss Shane Watson was a brilliant piece of fielding and a seminal moment. Finch was run out and hobbled from the pitch.
They're not B-grade players, by any means, but Finch's XI was clearly not Australia's strongest side. Do paying patrons not deserve better? Do they not deserve the finest possible Australian outfit for every international match?
If selectors don't think the match is important enough, why should fans? As many as seven members of Australia's most powerful T20 lineup were missing as it was announced wicketkeeper Matthew Wade would skip the SCG finale, replaced by Cam Bancroft so he could disappear to New Zealand for Wednesday's start to the Chappell-Hadlee ODI series.
How could Australia expect anything less than defeat? India took an unassailable 2-0 series lead. They deserved to after treating the tournament with respect.
Test tweaker Lyon made his international T20 debut alongside Scott Boland and Andrew Tye in the first of his two auditions for the 15-man squad that will travel to India in   March for the World Cup.
He made a disastrous start when his third ball slipped from his hand and became a shoulder-high full toss. His next delivery was clobbered over the long-on fence by Rohit Sharma (60 from 47) to the high-decibel delight of the mostly pro-India crowd.
Lyon's first over went for 15 and he was not given the chance to make amends when Finch removed him from the attack.
Virat Kohli spread his wings and opened his shoulders with another blistering knock of 59 from 33 deliveries. John Hastings had a night to forget, and an outing that might have killed his World Cup chances, by receiving an old-fashioned pasting in the form of 0-35 from his three overs.When Kohli belted a head-high boundary from James Faulkner, whose three overs left him with the same unflattering figures as Hastings, both the Australian bowler and umpire Paul Wilson went ducking for cover. Ex-Test batsman Simon Katich told ABC Radio: "I'd be calling for a helmet if I was the bowler."