Bowlers get 'big tick' as Cummins extends Pujara hold

Australia's batting and fielding has come in for heavy criticism following their defeat in the second Vodafone Test against India, but vice-captain Pat Cummins says the bowling group gave themselves "a big tick" for their performance at the MCG.

And Cummins says his dominance of batting machine Cheteshwar Pujara so far in the series is down to a change of fortune as much as a change of strategy from two years ago.

The Australians were unable to score more than 200 in either innings of the second Test and also put down five chances in the field as the tourists stormed to an eight-wicket win to level the four-match series at one-all.

In a low-scoring game, the catches missed by Marnus Labuschagne when Shubman Gill was on 5 (he went on to score 45) and Steve Smith when Ajinkya Rahane was on 73 (he went on to score 112) cost Australia 79 runs and proved the most decisive.

Given the missed chances, Cummins said the bowling group was pleased to still be able to restrict India to a score of 326 in their first innings.

"I thought our execution was really good, we created a lot of chances, especially in that first innings," he said today.

"To bowl a side out for 300 on the MCG, a really good wicket, and create so many chances is a big tick. So we're pretty happy in that regard.

"Of course there's things to work on; Rahane batted beautifully and got a hundred so we'll look at what we could have done differently and review that.

"But I thought the effort from everyone was really good. I thought that way Starcy (Mitch Starc) bowled in the morning two days ago to the tail and (Ravindra) Jadeja and Rahane was fantastic.

"Overall, I thought it was a really good performance by the quicks and Lyono (Nathan Lyon)."

The Australians have also managed to quell the impact of star No.3 Pujara, who scored runs in record-breaking numbers in India’s historic series win in Australia two years ago.

Cummins has dismissed Pujara three times in four innings, all caught behind the wicket, and conceded just 14 runs from the 80 deliveries he's bowled to him in the series.

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting noted this week that the Australians have bowled much straighter to Pujara in this series compared to two years ago and also bowled wider on the crease to change the angle of attack.

"I think so," Ponting told The Unplayable Podcast when asked if the Australians had cracked to code to getting Pujara out.

"I think they've found something that's working for them (and) with the skill that (Josh) Hazlewood and Cummins have got, they'll just keep honing in and targeting it.

"As soon as they find a chink in the armour of an opposition player, they're relentless. I think the Aussies will keep going there to Pujara."

When asked why the Australians had been so effective against Pujara so far in the series, Cummins played down the suggestion that it's all been down to a dramatic strategic breakthrough.

"I'd love to say it's a big grand plan that has changed things, but the reality is I don't really know," he said.

"We're just trying to bowl good balls and make him make a decision whether he should play or leave it and do it for as long as we can.

"Fortunately, so far it's come off pretty early in his innings so long may it continue, but there's nothing drastically that's changed. We've just got to concentrate on what we do well for longer and so far, it's worked."

Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

India Test squad: Virat Kohli (c) (first Test only), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: India won by eight wickets

Third Test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT