The short turnaround will test the resilience of the team after suffering their worst defeat during the Stokes-McCullum era.
Joe Root had just defended an off-cutter under his eyes to close out the 11th over of England's second innings, with the score at 28 for 3 and chasing a target of 557. "Now they are not hitting at all," bellowed Jasprit Bumrah through the stump mic. Bumrah's message to his teammates and the rest of the world was clear.
One ball later, England were 28 for 4 when Jonny Bairstow missed a sweep off Ravindra Jadeja.
England did not perform well. The boldness that was present in their pursuit, characterised by Ben Duckett's claim of 'the more, the better', had disappeared by the time the chase began. India had pushed them to the brink, then kicked them over to record their biggest ever victory, winning by 434 runs. This defeat is England's worst since 1934 and the eighth heaviest defeat any Test side has suffered.
The match began with a comedy run-out, which proved to be an omen for the doom to come, especially considering the victim. Duckett, who had scored 153 in the first innings, was dismissed for just 4 due to a miscommunication with Zak Crawley. A nod to the wounds India had inflicted in the game, this rudimentary error between two openers who had thrived together for over a year - and who had as many fifty-plus opening stands in this series (4) as any first-wicket pair to visit India between 2018 and 2023.
With the exception of Mark Wood's 33 - the highest score and only the fifth England batter to reach double figures - the situation could have been even worse. There was one point when England were 50-7, having lost Joe Root and Rehan Ahmed in just 24 deliveries with no runs on the board.
This is the low point of the Bazball era. It is worse than the innings defeat to South Africa at Lord's in 2022 and the Ashes Test on the same ground last summer, when a similar opportunity was squandered in the first innings to respond to a 400-plus score with a key batsman out. Just like then, they have allowed a method that has worked incredibly well so far to become dumbed down. It was only their sixth loss in 21 Tests under the McCullum-Stokes axis, with 14 wins. They are, however, one defeat away from being without a win in their last three series.
The collapse on day three, from 224 for 2 to 319 all out, proved fatal. This was triggered by Root's misjudged ramp against Bumrah. Giving up a first-innings lead of 126 was unnecessary and inexplicable, considering they were performing at their best - with Duckett scoring 133 runs on day two - during the first half of their response to India's first innings of 445.
The hosts were stunned, and were further shocked when R Ashwin withdrew from the match for personal reasons. On Sunday morning, Ashwin rejoined his teammates on the field for the final session and eventually dismissed Tom Hartley for his 501st career dismissal. The match had a very different complexion.
England were frustrated at the tea break, which had been called after Crawley was given out LBW, making it 18 for 2. Crawley was unhappy with the decision, and DRS confirmed the umpire's call by the narrowest of margins on the leg stump. Stokes and Brendon McCullum were still upset about the decision and spoke to match referee Jeff Crowe after the game.
It's important to remember that the batters are responsible for their performance, both the highs and the lows. Not only did England succumb to defeat on Sunday evening, but they also relinquished a strong position on Saturday morning.
This resulted in the team spending over 67% of the four-day match (228.5 overs) in the field, with only 71.1 overs between their first and second innings. During the first 47 overs of day four, it was evident that they were struggling, as India added 234 runs before declaring on 430 for 4. This gave England only 40 minutes to bat before tea.
Yashasvi Jaiswal returned after retiring hurt on 104 the previous evening to score his second double century in as many Tests. He flayed a weary attack to all parts of the ground. The carnage would have been censored in black and white if the passage after lunch had been a Tarantino film. Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan, two Mumbai maidan graduates, dominated what was left of England's bowlers with a multi-generational thrashing.
During James Anderson's second over after lunch, he was hit for 21 runs - the most he has conceded in an over since George Bailey scored 28 off him at Perth in 2013. The difference this time, however, was that Jaiswal hit three consecutive sixes, flicking a low yorker over fine leg, launching a slower delivery over cover and then hitting it back over the bowler's head.
Anderson's field placement against Jaiswal and Sarfaraz was indicative of England's struggles. Rather than attempting to take wickets or restrict runs, they relied solely on Anderson's abilities to make something happen.
Jaiswal took advantage of this, hitting Root for two consecutive sixes and matching the record for most sixes in a single innings. In the final over of the third innings, Sarfaraz was brought in to bat against 19-year-old Rehan Ahmed. He hit six, four, and six, but the legspinner did manage to take a wicket, dismissing nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav. Sarfaraz finished with figures of 1 for 108 from 25 overs.
What about the other, more experienced players? Recent history suggests that a recalibration is imminent. The Lord's failure of 2023 was followed by a more refined batting performance that overturned Australia's 2-0 lead and eventually secured a draw in the fifth Test at the Kia Oval. This was after rain had washed out any chance of a result in the fourth Test in Manchester.
Stokes gathered the team as soon as they returned to the dressing room, urging them not to dwell on the result. His private message was reiterated during his press conference.
Upon returning to the dressing room, Stokes gathered the team and encouraged them to move on from the result. He reiterated this message during his press conference, emphasising the importance of focusing on upcoming games.
'Games can be won and lost in the head,' he said. The team will leave the emotion and disappointment from this week behind and focus on the next challenge.
After a six-day break in Abu Dhabi, they arrived in Rajkot feeling refreshed and re-enthused despite their defeat in Visakhapatnam. The last few days have been spent chasing leather in some of the hottest conditions of the Tour so far, which makes it seem as if they are in need of another holiday.
In contrast, India seems like a familiar beast, even with four changes to their XI here and more to come. They now have a good gauge on England and are more certain in their plans. Rohit Sharma is displaying remarkable composure on the field. India is re-establishing itself as the dominant force, having remained unbeaten in home series since 2013.
What's more, India appears to be outplaying England at their own game. In contrast to India's 28 sixes, England managed only five - fewer than they hit in the previous two matches combined. This is a new record for any Test team.
To quote Bumrah, 'India are hitting' now.