Even the rhythmic beating of the drums by a section of the Indian supporters failed to inspire them on Saturday.
For most part, the Indian pacemen were flat, directionless and bereft of ideas at the MCG here on the second day of the third Test.
The attack wilting under the sun — the Aussie tail once again wagged — India virtually blew away the opportunity of keeping the series alive.
Skipper Steven Smith, his bat broad and desire immense, made his third hundred of the series. And Australia ran up a score of 530 in its first innings.
India was 108 for one at stumps in 37 overs of batting. Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara baulked the ambitious Australians on a pitch that appeared to settle down; the odd delivery tended to take off though.
In-form opener Vijay, assured and organised, picked the line and judged the length to leave deliveries outside off-stump. In an engrossing duel, he got behind the rising deliveries from Mitchell Johnson, stood tall, and kept the ball down with soft hands. His back-foot play was solid against the pacemen.
Vijay swept Nathan Lyon and danced down to strike the off-spinner to the wide long-on fence.
Pujara, on 12, had a slice of luck; he was put down by ‘keeper Brad Haddin after nicking fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.
The left-handed Shikhar Dhawan promised much before playing away from his body to a delivery angled across him by Ryan Harris. The seamer bowled a testing spell of brisk pace and accuracy.
Earlier, the Aussie skipper held the centre-stage. Light of feet, Smith (192) found the gaps with the precision of a sharp-shooter. The ease and the flow in his batting is hard to miss.
This was an innings where the young captain paced his innings tactfully. He watched Haddin, Johnson and then Harris launch into a barrage of strokes.
Only towards the final phase of his innings did Smith open out, tearing into off-spinner R. Ashwin with strokes of timing and grace.
Smith’s 305-ball effort not just blocked one end for India — the skipper was the last man dismissed — but also enabled Australia to string partnerships.
Dhoni’s captaincy was disappointing. There hardly seemed to be any communication between him and the bowlers. The Indian captain allowed the game to drift.
Intriguing decision
It was intriguing why Umesh Yadav did not start in the morning if the plan was to attack Haddin with lifters. Yadav is quicker and does have a useful short-pitched delivery.
Instead Mohammed Shami, he is more of a skidder, banged it in and was pulled, thwacked and slashed for boundaries by Haddin. These strokes gave the Aussie belief.
The Indian bowlers have a history of helping many struggling batsmen into form. This time some inept bowling — an overdose of short balls — handed out a lifeline to Haddin.
The short-pitched balls should have been used as a surprise weapon and mixed with fuller length deliveries that could have found the edge. Particularly since four of the five wickets on day one had fallen to catches to the ‘keeper or the slip cordon.
Even the normally consistent Ishant Sharma lost his length.
When Haddin (55), finally, under-edged one to Dhoni off Shami — mercifully a length ball outside off — he had already added 110 crucial runs for the sixth wicket with Smith.
It was surprising why R. Ashwin who had operated with some control to keep it tight on the first day was brought in only after Australia had scored 97 runs in the morning.
Then, even as Smith held firm and rotated the strike, Johnson and Harris waded into the Indian bowling.
Johnson biffed a rapid 28 before Ashwin sold him the dummy.
Soon, Harris (74) cut loose. A few of his straight hits off the pacemen would have done a specialist batsman proud.
Harris also powerfully dismissed Ashwin over covers, cut the off-spinner and then lofted him over mid-wicket for the maximum.
By now Australia had progressed to a position of considerable strength.
