India vs Australia 2017: 5 reasons why India succumbed to a huge loss in Pune

#4 – Physical and mental resolve pushed beyond controllable limits

Ashwin and Jadeja have bowled a combined 1366.3 overs during the past seven months

Fatigue, both physical and mental, becomes the obvious downside in a long home season featuring a world record of 13 Tests. From July to the start of this game, India had played a whopping 14 Tests (including the away series in West Indies), 8 ODIs and 5 T20Is over the course of the last seven months.

Despite the match being the start of a high-profile series, they looked burnt-out and were simply going through the motions. The first indication came when Mitchell Starc pummeled their bowlers for a game-changing fifty at the end of the opening day.

In sharp contrast to their previous tussles, the Indians seemed fazed at the sight of a challenging situation. The appalling fielding was a direct result of flagging minds and tired bodies.