The hosts' hopes of salvaging their reputation against the rampaging Australians suffered a setback on Monday when skipper Sourav Ganguly was ruled out after failing to recover from a groin injury.

The news came at the wrong time for India, making a last-ditch attempt to restore their fortunes after losing the first home Test series against Australia in 35 years.

They surrendered the opening Test by 217 runs before collapsing to their biggest defeat yet by 342 runs in the third Test at Nagpur. The second was drawn at Madras.

India face a tall order in the final match against a disciplined and determined Australia.

Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist has already warned that his team were in no mood to relax their grip over beleaguered India.

"We'd also like to win the Mumbai Test to prove our supremacy. We cannot afford to slip up," said Gilchrist, who led the team in the first three Tests in the absence of unfit Ricky Ponting.

India lost plenty of fans with their spineless performance, their famed middle-order batting proving the biggest let-down.

Venkatsai Laxman and Rahul Dravid, who were instrumental in stopping the Australian juggernaut in 2001 with big-scoring ways, have yet to find their feet. Dravid has made just one half-century in three matches and Laxman none.

Batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar missed the first two Tests due to an elbow injury, but returned only to disappoint. He managed just 10 in the third rubber.

It was India's misfortune that more than one batsman lost form in the big series.

Injuries to key players, faulty team-selection and an unnecessary row over the Nagpur pitch added to the home team's woes.

But Indian cricket was in the news for all the wrong reasons even before the first ball had been bowled in the series against Australia, especially after a dispute over live telecasts and an acrimonious election to the post of the board president.

The TV rights tussle was resolved just a few days before the start of the opening Test at Bangalore on October 6, while the fate of newly-elected board chief Ranbir Singh Mahendra is to be decided by the country's top court.

A new selection panel was formed barely a week before the opening match. And it began to feel the heat after just one defeat.

The selection of wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, "strokeless opener" Akash Chopra and ineffective all-rounder Ajit Agarkar was widely criticised by the media before the trio were finally dumped for the 'dead' match.

Patel became a butt of national ridicule for his repeated failure with the big gloves.

Gilchrist not only lauded his team's resolve and "better planning" for the series victory, but also felt that India failed to pick the right players for the crucial third Test on a lively Nagpur wicket.

"In hindsight, I think India got their selection wrong," he said.

"They should have played three seamers (at Nagpur). They should have included (fast bowler) Ashish Nehra as our batsmen would have found it difficult to play two left-arm seamers on a wicket which helped new-ball bowlers throughout.

"But it's disappointing when people say we won because of the pitch. People forget that we won in Bangalore (on a slow turner) very convincingly."

The Indian captain preferred a turner at Nagpur but his request was turned down. He then opted out of the match, leaving cynics wondering whether the decision was taken in a fit of pique.

Stand-in captain Dravid put things in proper perspective, admitting his team had been outplayed.

"They are deserving winners," he said.

"They are the side which adapted to the given conditions in a better way. They have really outplayed us in two of the three Tests."