Tim Paine has denied Justin Langer's claim of 'confusion' in the Australian dressing room. Photo / Getty
Tim Paine has denied Justin Langer's claim of 'confusion' in the Australian dressing room. Photo / Getty
The massive problem in Australian cricket has once again been laid bare.
After Usman Khawaja, Marcus Harris and Marnus Labuschagne built a solid platform, quick wickets have left Australia in a precarious position on day three of the fourth and final test against India.
The Aussies were left reeling at 198-6 shortly after tea, after losing five wickets for 70 runs amid claims of dressing room "confusion".
Australia collapsed from 128-1 to 198-6 in their first innings at the SCG. Photo / Getty
Bowling coach David Saker said he and head coach Justin Langer gave the Aussie bowlers a spray after day one and claimed there was "confusion" between the plans they had compared to the tactics captain Tim Paine wanted to implement.
Australian bowling coach David Saker wasn't happy with his bowlers. Photo / Getty
"That happens when you're not winning games of cricket.
"If that's true that they didn't stick to their plans ... and Paine didn't agree with what Saker said, to me it falls on the bowling coach as well. He's the guy who's trying to set the plans for the bowlers going out there.
"But at the end of the day it's the responsibility of the bowlers to execute those plans."
Nathan Lyon was another member of the team to publicly question whether his team's fast bowlers got it right on day one.
The Aussies struggled to get any real momentum on either of the opening two days, with India posting two century stands and one worth 204 runs.
India's smallest partnership was 10 runs for the first wicket.
Paine insisted, however, there was no disagreement over plans to any of the Indian batsmen, and that the team had simply got it wrong at times on the opening two days.
Paine also hit back at Shane Warne, afterthe former spinner continued his criticism of Aussie quick Mitchell Starc's performances in the series.
Warne has been especially savage on the left-armer, slamming him in newspaper columns and on air.
However, he denies he has a personal grudge against Starc, insisting his comments are based on facts.
The legendary leggie also said he wished he didn't have to criticise Starc but he feels the quick's performances have been well below par this summer.
Speaking after play on day two, Paine stood by his game-breaker.
"I don't know what people expect from him," Paine said. "His stats for his whole career have been outstanding.
"When he's at his best, he's brilliant. When he's not, not so much, but he's not running out trying to spray the ball everywhere.
"That's what I don't get with the criticism he's getting. Mitchell Starc is trying his absolute best to do the same thing he did a year ago when he was swinging the ball around corners.
"He's down on confidence a little bit and I sometimes think people forget that he's just a bloke who's trying his best.
"I know he's playing at the highest level and they expect a lot from him but it doesn't always work; it's Test cricket, he's coming up against some very, very good batters and he's not quite at his best."
Mitchell Starc has been heavily criticised by former spinner Shane Warne. Photo / Getty
Starc took five wickets in Adelaide and five Perth before taking two scalps in India's first innings at the MCG.
In Sydney, he finished with figures of 1/123 as he failed to bowl a maiden in 26 overs.
On Saturday it was the home side's batting in the spotlight.
Starting with a 72-run partnership, the second Australian wicket fell at 128 but three wickets for 24 runs put India on top.
Spinner Ravindra Jadeja struck twice quickly after lunch and India claimed four wickets in the session to have Australia in trouble at 198-5 at tea, chasing the tourist's mammoth first-innings total of 622 on day three of the fourth and final test.
A feature of Australia's performances this series has been losing wickets in quick succession and the pattern continued when Jadeja took the wickets of Marcus Harris and Shaun Marsh before Mohammed Shami removed Marnus Labushagne inside nine overs on Saturday.
Harris fell straight after lunch for 79, playing on to his stumps off Jadeja (2-51) to have Australia at 128-2.
It was Harris' second half-century and also the highest score by an Australian this series, underlining the gulf in class between the hosts and India which has scored five hundreds.
Shaun Marsh, whose last century was against England here last year, hit two boundaries before he became Jadeja's second victim, edging to Ajinkya Rahane at slip for eight in the 48th over.
New No. 3 batsman Labuschagne (38) was caught spectacularly by Rahane off Shami (1-54) three over later to reduce Australia to 152-4, after it had been 122-1 at lunch.
On the cusp of the tea break, Kuldeep Yadav got his second wicket, having Travis Head caught and bowled for 20.
At the interval, with rainstorms looming, Peter Handscomb was 21 not out, with captain Tim Paine on five.
Kuldeep Yadav of India celebrates after taking the wicket of Tim Paine. Photo / Getty
Resuming Saturday on 24-0 after safely navigating 10 overs prior to stumps the previous evening, Australia progressed untroubled to 72 without loss before an errant shot by Usman Khawaja gave India its first breakthrough in the 22nd over.
Khawaja, who was dropped without scoring by Rishabh Pant late on Friday, wasn't as lucky off-spinner Kuldeep (2-50) when on 27 played a poor shot and chipped a ball to Cheteshwar Pujara at midwicket.
Harris, who scored 70 in Perth's second test, brought up his 50 off 67 balls and looked set to be Australia's first centurion this summer reaching 77 by lunch, but could only add two more runs after the break before he fell to Jadeja to start the host's collapse.
The best Australia can hope for here is a draw after India all but confirmed its first series victory in Australia by batting for nearly two full days in raising its 622-7 declared with Pujara (193) and Pant (159 not out) adding centuries for the tourists.
Bad light forced an early end to play with the Aussies on 236-6.
