Australia's Unexpected Problems

Aussies face unwanted questions after shocking loss

While India are on cloud nine, Australia are looking gloom. After a positive outlook on the series in the lead up; It seems as if the roles have been reversed. While India were seeking for answers amid a home series whitewash, the only question Australia were asking was who would open the battting. It looks like the shoe is on the other foot.

The Australian media have been having a field day with the humiliation. 'Perth-etic Humiliation' and 'Monster Loss' were the titles used by the Australian media on Monday to describe up their team's 295-run thumping.

The Sydney Herald have dubbed the result as, "A sight of one-way traffic," casting doubt on the team's preparedness and mentality. Nine.com.au headlined, 'Aussies dealt reality check in monst rous loss.

The result has left the home crowd reeling and some legends of the game calling for the axing of Marnus Labuschagne from the side.

Former England captain, Michael Vaughan, believes Labuschagne, who scored 2 and 3 in the match, to back to grade cricket to rediscover his form. It's a combination of the result and performance that there are calls to include new players to the team. Two names in particular have been mentioned: Josh Inglis (who averages 99 in the current Sheffield Shield) and Sam Konstas.

Former Australian opener, David Warner, has offered advice to the top four (Usman Khawaja; Nathan McSweeney; Labuschagne and Steve Smith): "They need to get together, have a conversation, work out beween themselves what can we do differently? How do we approach it? Do we be braver?"

Another former Aussie, Mark Waugh, suggested, "Wipe it out of your memory." Ian Healy, another former Aussie, said, "It's a disaster, a one-off disaster at this stage."

With Australia hosting The Ashes next year, Ashes winning captain, Vaughan, believes that this result outlines a possible blueprint for England to regain the urn. He wrote, "Absolute masterclass" from India on, "how to take on Australia in Australia" writing that he hoped England had, "half an eye on it and were taking notes."

"After being bowled out for 150 on the first day, they provided a great lesson in how to play here. Perth has huge boundaries and a very slow outfield. It’s great to be flamboyant and aggressive, but you’ve also got to be able to defend and leave the ball. Soak up certain spells or tactics from the Australians. That is exactly what Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul did in the opening partnership, and Virat Kohli did later."

“All three of them are great white-ball players but had strong defences to the very best balls of Australia’s big three, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. That is what you need in Australia. What you don’t need, on the other end, is an aggressive batting approach like the one England has famously adopted in the Test arena."

England has yet to play an Ashes series in Australia since coining its 'Bazball' style, centred around attacking batting and tactics and if India’s early success in Perth has shown anything, according to Vaughan, it is that you need to be prepared to "bat for long periods of time."

"It was an education for England’s batsmen, who often play only one way – attacking. You are allowed to let one through to the keeper."

Wisden’s Sarah Waris, meanwhile, wrote that the "manner" of Smith and Labuschagne’s dismissals "cast doubts over the mental state they are in and their place in the XI. Labuschagne struggled for his 52-ball two in the first innings and was dismissed lbw without offering a shot in the second."

"Smith, on the other hand, had a big trigger movement in the first innings and was trapped lbw first ball. In the second, he was unable to keep off a back-of-a-length delivery that angled into the off stump before straightening."

"Skipper Pat Cummins downplayed the lack of contribution but with Usman Khawaja not in the greatest form either, averaging 30.60 in the last 12 months, the engine room of Australia’s batting at home seems to be well and truly shot."

It's believed that Australia will keep the same squad for the 2nd Test. Australia coach, Andrew McDonald, believes their team will be able to turn the tables on the visitors in the Pink-Ball Test which will played at the Adelaide Oval starting from 6 December. He said, "The same people in that changeroom are the same people that will be in Adelaide. It is always a consideration, wherever you go in the world in terms of the personnel you pick for conditions."

McDonald also supported Marnus Labuschage to get back on track. Before Mohammed Siraj put an end to his agonising vigil, Marnus scored two runs off fifty-two balls in the first innings. He was plumb in front of Jasprit Bumrah in the second innings.

He said on the matter, "That's an ongoing discussion and that ebbs and flows in players' careers, so at the moment he's in one of those patches and no doubt he'll be getting critiqued externally. But internally we're really confident that, at his best, he's the player that we need."

I think the media and former players are being a little dramatic. It's the beginning of the series and it's not like the apocalyse is on the horizon as a result. I do believe that changes need to be made. I find it odd that the squad remained intact despite the margin of loss. Australia need to identify what went wrong and rectify it.