Battered and bruised, Aussies seem clueless

Bengaluru, Sometimes in sport, the harder you try, the tougher it is to find a solution. Australia are in that stagnated state of mind where every strategy they devise for the Indian team is methodically broken down by their powerhouse opponents.
So to take a break from the routine, Australia decided to change their approach by opting to rest the day before the match and start afresh on match day for the fourth ODI.
On Tuesday, there were still smiles in the camp, but from the outside one could see the Australians have succumbed to pressure. Steve Smith has spoken out of desperation and frustration in press conferences, David Warner has tried to put on a brave face suggesting all is well in the camp, but it is clear the younger brigade has already starting eyeing the Ashes.
Right now, winning even one match in India seems like a distant dream. Earlier this week, Aaron Finch admitted there was a gap between the teams. “We’ve been in a couple of good positions in the first few games and as soon as you give India a sniff, they’ll beat you nine times out of 10,” Finch said. “You have to play 100 percent to beat (India) in these conditions. If you play 90 percent, it’s not good enough here.”
One of the decisive gaps that remain between the team is the amount of experience in the middle-orders of the two teams.
MSD Factor
India might have young troops such as Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya, but they are comforted by the presence of the wise old MS Dhoni.
The former captain’s presence at No. 6 or 7 has allowed the Indian top-order to bat freely. On the other hand, the Australian batting has erred on the side of caution, knowing that a couple of audacious shots can lead to yet another batting calamity.
Australia have nobody to fall back on. They have no one such as Mike Hussey who could guide a run chase or script a winning total. The lower-order power-hitting in the form of a James Faulkner or a pinch-hitting wicketkeeper is nonexistent.
Australia arrived on the shores of India two weeks ago expecting to compete strongly in the ODIs and end a string of defeats away from home grounds. Now they’ve lost 11 away ODIs in a row (excluding no-result matches). The possibility of a 5-0 whitewash of the ODI series is now real. There are also three T20Is to play.
It seems they’re likely to return home with little to cheer about and plenty of rebuilding to do before the Ashes series, which starts on November 23.