Australian coach Justin Langer says the only way is up for his shell-shocked side after their record ODI defeat against England.
The size of Langer's task just 12 months before the World Cup was laid bare in Nottingham, as Eoin Morgan's rampant team clubbed a world record 6-481 and dismissed the tourists for 239 in a 242-run victory.
It is the biggest defeat tasted by Australia who have lost their past four series and drop to sixth in the ICC rankings. England have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead.
Facing the world's top white-ball side on home soil, less than six months after losing 4-1 to them in Australia, was always going to be a tough first assignment for Langer, who replaced Darren Lehmann last month as coach.
But with Ashes-winning pacemen Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins all injured and Steve Smith and David Warner suspended, the cards were well and truly stacked against the Aussies.
The unavailability of allrounder Mitch Marsh and James Pattinson and Nathan Coulter-Nile was another indicator of the talent Tim Paine had been unable to call on in his first tour as captain.
However, Langer refused to make any excuses, preferring to heap credit on an England side who'd been transformed under Morgan and former NSW coach Trevor Bayliss just three years after limping out of the World Cup at the group stages.
"I've known what the task is before this game - it's to build team and to get better," Langer said.
"I've got massive respect for England and the way they are playing their cricket.
"Their top three are brutal. The way they are playing is reminiscent of how we used to play in our day with Gilly, Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting at the top."
Langer said the team would have to take their medicine and do their best to come back stronger for Thursday's clash at Durham. They are intent on prevent England moving closer to a first whitewash over Australia in a series of more than three matches.
"It's a shock - that is literally England at its best," Langer said.
"It's no fluke that they are No.1 in the world. I've never seen nothing like that.
"I was in Johannesburg when Australia got 400 and South Africa then got it.
"But that was just brutal. Hopefully, our young guys can learn from it. It doesn't get harder than that."
Despite the heavy loss, Langer said it wasn't the time to make wholesale changes to the team but hinted Nathan Lyon could get a first match on tour.
"I don't like to chop and change; you've got to build something," he said.
"You're not going to learn anything in the change rooms. Nathan Lyon has played a lot of international cricket - he might play at some point."
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