aussies look to stop the defeat

Continuous losing in professional sport brings the worst out of people. Especially in Test cricket where individuals can perform outstandingly and still lose, where a match doesn't end for five days and tours go on for months, where you are stuck with the same faces preparing for the same results.

It brought the worst out of India when they were in Australia. They kept on picking the same failing batsmen, kept on batting in the same order, waited for some higher power to authorise the firings, and hoped that past glory will miraculously pull them out of the hole.

If India sleepwalked, as if on sedatives, through the losses, Australia have been behaving as if on crack. The thing they have been wielding is not so much an axe as it is a chainsaw. Nathan Lyon experienced it after the first Test, losing out to a limited-overs spinner. Now four others are out for discipline issues that the team management says have been accumulating.

Australia have made it clear that failing to show intent, discipline and subordination in team meetings is a bigger sin than not scoring a run off spinners or under-bowling a fast bowler on fire and over-bowling him into dust when he is not or making poor selections or failing to reverse-swing the ball.

The first set of things is what they can control, the latter depends more on skill and the application of that skill, which is not always in their control. Even if Australia lose every match on the trip, and there is a strong likelihood they will, they perhaps want to know they tried everything in their control.

There's not much left in their control, though: they might have only 12 men left to choose from, Steven Smith and Brad Haddin could be playing in the top six, but it's fair to say they will rather be on the field than in front of a green backdrop with strings of VB and Cricket Australia logos in the press conference room.

Form guide

India WWDLL (Last five matches, most recent first)
Australia LLWWW

Watch out for...

Phil Hughes will be aware he is allowed to sit in this test only because some others have been asked to stand outside the class for the next period. Hughes has faced 39 balls from spinners this series, and has been out four times without scoring a run. That spin barrage is not likely to stop any time soon. It will be interesting to see how he counters it.

Michael Clarke has finally decided to move up in the order in an attempt to prevent fires as opposed to doing all the firefighting with fewer specialist batsmen for company. You can seen, though, why Clarke wanted to cling on to No. 5: he averages 64 and 51 at Nos. 5 and 6, and only 22 and 25 at 4 and 3. We are not sure yet where exactly he will bat, but he has made the decision for the good of the team.

This will be Ishant Sharma's 50th Test. He averages 38.52 with the ball. No specialist bowler who has played 50 Tests has ended with an average that bad. Looking at India's pace resources, Ishant still has time to correct this statistic. Mohali at least should provide him more help than the two earlier pitches.