Absence of a Plan B did Australia in on Day 3

It was a day when except for the first two hours, everything went wrong for Australia. It could possibly be one of worst days for Australia in Test cricket because rarely in the past have we witnessed an Australian team looking so helpless and lost.

Shikhar Dhawan played a top knock and destroyed everything that came his way, but the Aussie bowlers were also guilty of giving away runs too easily.

They seemed to have forgotten the basic principles of line and length and right from the start, the Indian openers were gifted freebies on either side of the wicket.

Dhawan feasted on the innumerable half volleys that were bowled outside the off-stump and made sure he dispatched each of them with class and grace to the cover boundary.

Murali Vijay and Dhawan also went after the spinners -- Nathan Lyon and Xavier Doherty – from the word go and never let them settle down. All-rounder Moises Henriques was blasted off the attack as he was smashed for 38 runs in his seven overs.

It seemed Australia didn’t have a Plan B to fall back on.

The field placings never changed, the fielders were kept inside the circle and all Dhawan had to do was find the gaps and the ball sped to the boundary through the quick outfield.

Vijay and Dhawan hit a total of 43 boundaries and four sixes between them in 58 overs.

Australian bowlers will hope to take a few early wickets on Day 4 or face another long hard day under the sun in Mohali.

Photograph: BCCI