World XI coach John Wright dismissed suggestions his players did not make an effort to win the Super Test. "There's no question that anyone went out there to fail - no one does. Not with their reputations," said Wright after the 210-run defeat.
"I think form was an issue for some of them. A lot of them came here without a lot of cricket behind them.
"We never got an innings going in the one-day series, which perhaps had an effect flowing to this match."
The visitors, beaten 3-0 in the one-day series, failed despite boasting the best batsmen in the world outside Australia.
 | Every guy, if he's honest, will say that he was pushing as hard as he could but there was something missing all the time |
India's Virender Sehwag, who hit 76 in the first innings in Sydney, was the only one to post a half-century in the match.
"I've had no problems at all with the way the boys have prepared," Wright added.
"I can pick any number of them as examples but the hunger and professionalism that I saw from Brian Lara, particularly, leading into this match was illuminating.
Captain Graeme Smith conceded he had lost some motivation because he was not playing for his national side.
"It's hard to define but you grow up in your country and you dream of playing for it, that's instilled in you from day one," he said.
"Then you come here and you don't really know the guys you're playing with, or for, and that does add up to an environment where you maybe lose 20%.
"Every guy, if he's honest, will say that he was pushing as hard as he could but there was something missing all the time."