Fifty-eight overs, 301 runs and just four wickets. That was how Australia fared in the second and final sessions of Day II of the third Test in Brisbane after being precariously placed at 104/3 at lunch.

Once again, it was Travis Head (152) who counterpunched the lacklustre Indian attack for back-to-back centuries. Steve Smith too launched a comeback to score his first Test century in 26 innings.

With only Jasprit Bumrah (5/72) having to do almost all the wicket-taking, India were made to pay by Smith and Head as their solid, strokeful 241-run fourth-wicket partnership helped Australia to 405/7 at stumps on Day II. That, after Bumrah’s strikes on the second morning were instrumental in reducing Australia to 75/3.

Keeping the inclement weather forecast in mind, Australia may announce an early declaration on Day III. Team India’s task will get tougher in this Test — unless rain further interrupts the remainder of the game — as the hosts have already posted a big first-innings total on a pitch having a fair amount of assistance for the quicks.

Tackling the new ball on this Gabba surface hasn’t been easy. Bumrah proved so on Sunday morning when he picked up Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney, and again after the second new ball was taken in the final session. India’s bowling spearhead not just forced Smith to err and break the massive stand, but also removed Mitch Marsh before inducing one rare false shot from Head.

If not for those quick strikes from Bumrah, Australia could well have finished at a total closer to 450. But why is India facing such a situation where Bumrah has to take the bulk of the wickets? What about the other bowlers?

Of the other two specialist quicks, Mohammed Siraj did trouble Marnus Labuschagne early on and bowled a somewhat probing length at the fag end of the day while battling a discomfort in his left leg. Precisely, Siraj bowled well in patches.

Akash Deep, the third pacer, couldn’t show enough promise as he had done in his 3.2 overs on the rain-affected Day I. Attempting the fuller length, Akash over-pitched on quite a few occasions, making run-scoring easier for Smith and Head. However, for someone playing his first Test on Australian soil, Akash made sure to maintain a better economy rate (3.16) at least compared to that of his senior colleague Siraj (4.34).

Akash, in fact, had words of comfort from Morne Morkel too, although the India bowling coach agreed somebody ought to back Bumrah up. “Of course, you need somebody to back Bumrah up, but I honestly can't fault the effort from the other seamers.

“Akash asked good questions with the new ball upfront, asked good questions with the older ball and on another day could have easily picked up three wickets. But that's the nature of this game,” Morkel said.

Agreed, the Kookaburra ball, when older, is easier to score off. But even if taking wickets is difficult, bowlers need to exercise a little bit of control at least, which the Indians (barring Bumrah) were unable to do. Even the bowling coach admitted it.

Another major disappointment with the ball on Sunday was Ravindra Jadeja, who looked largely toothless in the 16 overs he bowled. Not just Head and Smith, but even keeper-batter Alex Carey took the left-arm spinner on towards the close of play.

Understandably, the team management took Jadeja's experience into account and also the fact that the all-rounder has been India's preferred spinner in recent times in overseas Tests given his ability with the bat. But, why was off-spinner all-rounder Washington Sundar dropped in the first place after the Perth Test even when he hadn't done badly in the series opener?

Of course, experience always matters in Test cricket, but current form cannot be dismissed altogether. Suppose Jadeja continues to have a tough time with the bat too, will Team India again go back to Sundar or Ravichandran Ashwin?

Frequent tinkering with the XI affects the rhythm of a side. It's not that the current Indian team management isn't aware of that.