Though they came back on the third day of the Test match - bowling out Indians for a score of 503 runs - but the Aussies lacked the bowling firepower on the second day of the Test match, where the Indian team only lost a single wicket in three sessions of the play. The Australians looked a toothless bowling unit on the second day, as a result of which Australia after bowling out the Indians on the third day trail by 226 runs, putting the men in blue in the driver's seat.
The Australians were pinning their hopes on their faster bowlers, such as James Pattinson and Peter Siddle. But, when these players failed to provide them with the much needed breakthrough, the Australian team suffered a great deal at the hands of Pujara and Vijay. Their frontline spinner for the Test match, Xavier Doherty was expected to take wickets, but he also failed on the second day. But, Doherty was successful only in the latter half of the Indian innings on the third day by dismissing the Indian tail-enders along with Maxwell, who claimed four Indian wickets.
Many Australians as well as Indians were surprised to see the exclusion of Nathan Lyon, the Aussie spinner, who has been spearheading the Aussie attack for some time now. Doherty had replaced the player. Had Nathan Lyon been in the Aussies starting eleven for the match, he could have been more effective as he possesses the skill to make the ball talk with his finger spin and take wickets. The Aussie think-tank missed the trick in this regard.
Sometimes it is okay to play according to one's strength, but not always, especially when it comes to India, you have to play with your best spinners. And, one needs to give these spinners a chance to bowl early during the game as well, so as to get a better understanding of the wicket and also before the Indian batsmen settle in. The Australian skipper, Michael Clarke only handed over the ball to their spinners after their fast bowlers failed, which proved to be a big mistake. The Australian spin duo of Glenn Maxwell and Doherty combined to take seven wickets, but the damage had already been done on the second day by the Indian batsmen.
Had the Australians been able to break the partnership between Pujara and Vijay, the story could have been different. The Australians were defensive and let the Indian team come out on top. This is where the present Australian team and their teams from the past are different. Earlier, they had bowlers such as Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Brett Lee etc who knew how to take crucial wickets in regular intervals. No wonder when these players were in their prime, they were known as the invincible Australians.
But, one cannot take anything away from the Indian batsmen, who looked good on the day. The India's reason for victory (if it wins) and Australia's reason for defeat would be the same - second day performance.
