The Australians stuck to their strength and picked a strong pace-attack for the first Test in Chennai, but did not persist with the strategy of bouncing Sachin Tendulkar.

India were welcomed with raw pace when they started their innings after lunch. James Pattinson bowled at speeds of around 150 kph to reduce the hosts to 12 for two. However, the old plan of giving Tendulkar a dose of chin music was aborted at the last minute.

"My plan was to bounce him early but we changed it. It was a mistake there. We could have gone with the first plan of being aggressive to put more pressure on him," said Pattison, who is making a strong comeback after a three-month injury layoff.

Pattinson paid the price as Tendulkar scored three boundaries off the first four deliveries he faced and unsettled Pattinson, who only offered the batsman more width.

"He looked like he had a lot of time out there compared to other batters.  He showed his class today and batted fantastically," he said. Pattinson said the plan to bounce him was dropped as the ball did not swing but seemed to reverse early on.