Spinning out the blame NATHAN Lyon stood by the rope at a wide third man on Monday morning, chatting to Xavier Doherty. M. S. Dhoni, India's perpetrator of destruction, had just resumed the savaging of the Australian attack that blew the visitors away the day before. There wasn't a great deal to be said - just forced smiles and shrugging of the shoulders. Suitably, Doherty's orange vest wouldn't have been out of place in a demolition zone, and he was probably thanking his lucky stars he was only carrying the water bottles. The blame game has begun, four days into a six-week tour of India, and Australia's selection of only the one specialist spinner, Lyon, in Chennai is chiefly under the pump; on a strip that looks like a drop-in from central Australia, the inclusion of four seamers is being labelled an almighty blunder, with only an outstanding James Pattinson impressing. Even India admitted its surprised at the ploy. But as Lyon registered his own unwanted double century on day four, the real question was: would two spinners have made any difference? Would Doherty, who hardly spins the ball anyway and has an uninspiring first-class record, have been bashed around any less than Lyon, or be a genuine fourth-innings headache? Would Glenn Maxwell really strike fear into India? As Dhoni went berserk, it was arguable that anyone caught in the typhoon was in for heavy treatment. Consider the India captain's record: in 74 Tests, it was only his sixth century, and by far his biggest. This was a once-in-a-career outing, and Australia's bowlers were, in a way, in the wrong place at the wrong time. You can look left and right at a set of lights all you like but if there is a lunatic hurtling along obliviously from another direction, you're a chance of being sideswiped. This does not make them immune from accountability. Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle were too often too short and were increasingly easy pickings and Pattinson aside, none of Australia's bowlers have caused India any lasting trouble. But consider if Australia had picked a second spinner. Who would have been left out? With Siddle and Starc considered automatic selections on arrival, it would have almost certainly been Pattinson. And without him India could have batted all week. Never mind that, historically, playing two spinners here has never really worked for Australia. The mistake was made a few weeks back when the 17-man squad was named. The absence of top-class spinners in the country is hardly a scoop, but if they were serious about considering a second specialist in India - given the injuries to Jon Holland and Michael Beer - it should have been Stephen O'Keefe. The NSW left-arm orthodox took eight wickets in a Sheffield Shield match at Blacktown just days before the touring party was named, and is easily the leading domestic wicket-taker among spinners this season. He can bat, too. The word is O'Keefe has a line through his name, though, because he is a chirpy, confident lad not afraid to speak his mind. The suggestion is that kind of personality doesn't suit the team culture. Whatever the reason, his snubbing leaves them with few options. Australia played its best bowlers in Chennai and was taken apart - the danger is if it gets spooked in Hyderabad and picks another spinner for the sake of it.