First Test: Australia crushed by India in Perth demolition job

Australia has been hammered in Perth by a rampaging Indian team, but captain Pat Cummins insists mass changes will not be made to his veteran side.

Australian captain Pat Cummins has shot down the likelihood of axings from the side’s badly struggling top order despite the Aussies slumping to a 295-run defeat in the first Test inside four days.

But Cummins revealed that Mitch Marsh had been sore at times during the match and wasn’t certain whether the all-rounder would be able to bowl throughout the five-Test series against India.

Questions about the respective futures of Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith grew louder after they both failed again although Travis Head and Marsh salvaged form from Australia’s shipwreck to ensure the match was not a complete write-off with the bat.

Having both flopped in the first innings, veteran pair Khawaja and Smith missed out again on Monday in Perth.

Khawaja miscued a pull from Mohammed Siraj to fall for four and is now averaging just 26 for the year in Test cricket. Smith at least grafted for more than 90 minutes but edged Siraj to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant on 17, leaving his Test average at its lowest point since late 2015.

The Aussies were ultimately bowled out for 238 shortly after tea, not even halfway to their target of 534.

Marnus Labuschagne is facing even greater scrutiny than Khawaja and Smith after twin failures continued a wretched run for the Queensland captain, but Cummins said that wholesale change was unlikely for the second Test beginning in Adelaide on December 6.

“This is a sample size of one. Four or five days ago we thought this was our best XI. So I dare say, nothing, there won’t be many changes going into Adelaide, but I’m not a selector,” Cummins said.

He also ruled out the prospect of any Test players being parachuted into the Prime Minister’s XI side to face the tourists in Canberra over the weekend, although the Aussies are set to head to Adelaide a day earlier than scheduled following the day four finish in Perth.

Cummins said Labuschagne - who is averaging 13.66 since the start of the Test series against the West Indies in January - would be buoyed by the chance to return to Adelaide where he has posted three Test tons.

“He’s always trying to find those small marginal gains. This week will be a lot of conversation with the coaches around his approach and what he could be doing differently. We know he’s a class player, him at his best is one of the scariest propositions for opposition bowlers to bowl at, this week will be about those conversations,” Cummins said.

“Get to Adelaide a little bit earlier and maybe do an extra day or two prep leading into that second Test. He’s done it before over here, he’s got a very good pink ball record so I always think, looking back at past successes when you were at your best is always a pretty good way to get yourself back on track.”

In the absence of Cameron Green, Marsh bowled 17 overs during the Perth Test but Cummins conceded he was slightly worse for wear.

“He’s battling a couple of little niggles since the UK tour,” Cummins said.

“So, the main thing is he’s in there as one of the top six batters in the country and bowling is a bonus. He’s a little bit sore towards the end of this Test match. Again, in the next 10 days, chance to freshen up, try and get it right. We’ll see how he goes. Ideally, would be able to bowl in each Test match.”

Head dashed his way to an eye-catching 89 before stand-in Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah capped an outstanding match with the ball by drawing an edge to pick up his eighth wicket of the match.

Marsh played nicely for his 47 before chopping onto one from debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Cummins, who endured a torrid match, acknowledged Aussies’ first innings batting collapse had proved critical to the result.

“I think it was a fair few things (that went wrong),” Cummins said.

“150 (in the first innings) I thought placed us quite well. Obviously (the) game sped up that night of day one.

“ They bowled terrifically well and put a dent into us and once the pitch started to slow down a little bit, obviously we weren’t as well placed and we were back out in the field and couldn’t get the breakthroughs. I thought (India) played really well, just not much went our way this game.”

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Originally published as First Test: Australia crushed by India in Perth demolition job