Australia’s cricket team faced harsh criticism after their 295-run loss to India in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Perth’s Optus Stadium. The defeat, India’s first Test win at the venue and Australia’s first loss there, has raised concerns about the team’s poor form and unity.
Australian media highlighted the team’s ongoing problems, calling their recent performances a “year in the making.” Since their 2023 World Test Championship win, key players like Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, and Travis Head have struggled to maintain consistency.
Some key stats:
- Labuschagne: 658 runs in 13 Tests at an average of 27.41.
- Smith: 755 runs in 13 Tests at 32.82.
- Head: 731 runs in 13 Tests at 30.45.
While players like Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh have performed better, the team’s overall batting lineup has been underwhelming.
Headlines like “How the hell did that happen?” summed up the national disappointment. Australia’s bowling attack, featuring Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, also faced criticism for failing to trouble India’s batsmen consistently.
Labuschagne, in particular, was singled out for his scores of 2 and 3, which were called a “horror show.”
India’s win was especially remarkable after their recent struggles, including a rare home series loss to New Zealand. Questions about key players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were answered with strong performances in Perth.
Match Highlights
- India scored 150 in their first innings, led by Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) and Rishabh Pant (37).
- Australia was bowled out for 104, with Jasprit Bumrah taking 5/30 and Harshit Rana adding 3/48.
- In the second innings, Yashasvi Jaiswal (161), KL Rahul (77), and Kohli (100*) powered India to 487/6.
- Despite resistance from Travis Head (89) and Mitchell Marsh (47), Australia was all out for 238.