Having mustered a strong total, not the 477 they made at the ground in the 2005 Ashes but considerably better than 198 against India last year, it was time for England to exploit the helpful bowling conditions.
But it is the race to find and exploit the microbes that can survive in the very cold, dry or salty conditions of Antarctica that is raising particular concern for the UN University.
Australia's batting is vulnerable, both technically and psychologically, and whether a talented but essentially untested bowling lineup can exploit that will be as crucial to the result of this series as how India's batsmen adjust to Australian conditions.