Australia and West Indies have treated the cricket world to a number of outstanding contests over the years.
Close, keen finishes have characterised the majority of clashes between two of the most accomplished nations in the sport but a few one-sided contests have been had in between.
Australia have suffered humiliation in the past but in recent times it has been West Indies turn to feel the agony of not just ordinary defeats but heavy ones as well.
This current series seems headed along the same path of the last clash between the sides in 2000/01 in Australia where the first ever 5-0 result was posted between the two teams in the homesters' favour.
Yesterday's play here in Trinidad and Tobago was a day of agony for West Indian fans with the team's bowlers being pulverised by Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist after Darren Lehmann and the former began the battering on Saturday.
We are appreciating the hurt felt by the likes of former Australia captain Kim Hughes who quit the captaincy in tears after a relentless hammering by Clive Lloyd's men in the 1980s. Australian fans were reduced to wishing for a draw in that particular series to soften their Christmas. "All I want for Christmas is a draw", was the way one fan put it from the stands.
And when the tide began to turn prior to the 2000/01 whitewash, the said Hughes still traumatized by the treatment of the world champions at the time, gave vent to his feelings by pledging to wager his house that Australia would have won the series 5-0.
That result is now history and the fact that Hughes' house is safe and sound, he might be considering placing an even bigger bet on Australia repeating another clean-sweep presently even though they are away from home and had to come from behind to hang on for a draw in the teams' last encounter in the Caribbean four years ago.
Australia's first innings which closed yesterday at 576-4 declared is a huge embarrassment for a region which prided itself in being consistently capable of producing dominating fast bowlers.
Although it may only be the sixth highest total posted by Australia against West Indies, the fact that only four wickets fell is shameful.
Ponting, Gilchrist and Lehmann were allowed to decorate the Queen's Park Oval with an endless stream of boundaries because the bowling attack has been one of the most listless ever to represent the West Indies.
They showed no creativity to counter the rampaging Aussies and an ultra slow pitch.
There seemed to have no plan to work on the weakness, change of the line of attack from over to around the wicket or not many slower balls to upset the rhythm and concentration of the batsmen.
A thoroughly professional team often finds ways to overcome negative conditions and it is sad that all of the qualities which helped to make the West Indies team of the late 1970s 1980s the success it was, are non-existent in this bunch.
When Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee reduced West Indies to 25-2 after captain Steve Waugh ended the agony with an unexpected declaration, the palpable difference in ability between the two teams was never more evident. Although captain Brian Lara and Darren Ganga eliminated some of the pain with a volley of boundaries from some spectacular strokeplay after tea which had the adoring locals hopping with glee at the success of their "homeboys", West Indies still have an unenviable task to save this match.
David Rudder's "Trini to the bone," was the theme song from the Trini Posse stand until Lara was bowled behind his back. It was a dismissal, worked out from a plan that was sadly lacking from the West Indian bowlers earlier in the day.
And it is why West Indies are closer to defeat than saving this second test.