Nothing sends the Australian sports media into a frenzy like the nation’s cricket team capitulating on home soil — and that’s exactly what happened on Perth on Sunday as India completely dominated the host’s in the first Test of the summer.

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From India’s newest star Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring big against the world’s best pace attack, to King Kohli’s sublime return to form, to their own stunning 3/12 collapse amid an impossible chase of 534, nothing went Australia’s way on day three.

The biggest talking point beyond the evidently poor output has so far revolved around the worrying immediate and long-time form of Marnus Labuschagne.

Scores of 2 (52) and 3 (5) in the first Test have led to many pundits jumping the gun on his dropping in the team; however, the country’s batting depth is by no means at its strongest right now, posing many questions over who would actually replace him if he were to be dropped.

Read through some of the strongest reactions to Australia’s first Test performance and more below:

MICHAEL VAUGHAN

After a grim first innings and even worse start to their second dig, the former England captain’s biggest concerns revolved around Australia’s batting stocks.

“I’ve not seen that. I’m looking at this Australian side, they’re a terrific side, and for whatever reason they bowl out India for 150, then only bat well enough to only get 104, and then with the ball in hand they had periods where they bowled nicely but that last half an hour is something I’ve not seen in Australia,” Vaughan told foxsports.com.au on stumps after Day 3.

“I think the debate over the next week or two going into the second and third Test matches will be: Are Australia short of a gallop and they needed this game to get back into Test match cricket mode? Or are they a team that’s just starting to get over the edge?” Vaughan added.

“What is underneath this Australian batting line up really pushing the standards in the first team?

“The standards generally get driven in a team because you’ve got many players pushing for places in it – I just don’t see too many doing it.

“When Australia had a batting line up that had many world class players in it, I reckon you probably had seven or eight world class players not in it – and that was just in the batting department.

“Who is pushing? How many players outside of this Australian camp… outside of (Josh Inglis), who are the players getting the numbers to put these players in this team under pressure? I just don’t see it.”

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RAVI SHASTRI

India’s former skipper was blunt in his assessment of Australia, noting that their lack of depth is nothing like it used to be — and that they’ll need to find a solution pronto.

“I am seriously worried about the depth in Australian cricket,” Shastri toldfoxsports.com.au at the close of play on Sunday.

“There were times when players had to play years and years of cricket to make the cut. Mike Hussey, Matthew Hayden – years and years, and you look down the ranks there in Shield cricket and some of the youngsters coming through the ranks, there aren’t many there.

“When you look at the batting line up, a couple of guys in the evening of their career, on the other side of 30 – deep into the 30s, you want to have some depth.

“Australia will have to find something from somewhere.”

MICHAEL HUSSEY

“I’m not willing to jump at shadows just yet,” Hussey told foxsports.com.au on Sunday evening.

“You just think about coming into this series, all the talk was about India. They’d lost 3-0 to NZ.

“The Australian batting order has had one innings.

“Yes, they didn’t perform as well as they would have liked… I’m willing to just wait, be patient and see and make more of a judgement after three Test matches.

“The Australian public don’t like the Australian team getting beaten, and beaten badly.”

MICHAEL CLARKE

The former Australian Test skipper left no stone unturned when dissecting the decision for debutant Nathan McSweeney to face the first ball of the second innings instead of veteran Usman Khawaja, with the 25-year-old dismissed after only four balls.

“I think Uzzie should have said: ‘Youngster, get down the other end, even though we’re going to rotate, even though I don’t like taking it, it’s my time’ … I think Uzzie should have owned that moment,” Clarke told Sky Sports’ Big Sports Breakfast.

The 115-Test star was also critical of the country’s tactics and intent in the field during India’s second innings, where they piled on 6/487 before declaring.

“I know this isn’t making a big difference, but I can’t understand (that) if Mitchell Marsh takes a couple of wickets in the first innings, why doesn’t he bowl a lot more … why are we bowling Marnus and Head ff he’s your all-rounder?” Clarke questioned.

“They’re worried about him getting injured … in the second innings, I still feel like at times he should have been bowling rather than the others.

“The only reason they’ve done that is because they’ve got a number in their head that they feel he’s safe to bowl, and they’re thinking about five Test matches.

“Boys, stop preparing for 2030 — because you mightn’t get there.

“Mitchell Marsh could walk out to bat in the second innings, you’re doing all this preparation to make sure he can bowl in the (third Test). Second innings, (he gets a) broken thumb, he’s out of the series. All that great planning around his bowling, what a waste. If you need to bowl the guy right now, mate, and if it means you’re bowling till you’re in the ground, you bowl; win this test.

“It was like we just expected to knock India over again for not many – there was no intent.

“They were right in our faces, but I didn’t see any of our bowlers give it to any (India) batsmen … it all looked a bit flat for the first Test of the summer.”

GERARD WHATELEY (SEN)

Fox Footy’s AFL 360 host labelled Australia’s day as “catastrophic” when Nathan McSweeney was dismissed for naught, and that was all before their further demise to India’s seamers.

Whateley was honest in his assessment of Labuschagne and his dismissal on the final ball of Day 3 without offering a shot, insinuating it was indicative of his wider form.

“That is a shocking way to go out,” Whateley said live.

“That’s the full humiliation for Marnus Labuschagne; his deterioration as a Test cricketer. To go like that in the moment of decision, at the end of a day’s play without offering (a shot).

“It’s a scrambled mind, it’s a lost technique.

“You cannot go out there without the intention to use your bat. It’s so symbolic of where he finds himself in his game.

“He’s going to have to be relieved of his place in the team.”

And in the lead up to Day 4, Whateley was just as critical of the tactics enforced by captain Pat Cummins midway through the day’s play, which saw Labuschagne bowl a series of bouncers in an attempt to intimidate India’s batters.

“It’s the worst tactic I’ve ever seen by an Australian team; I was appalled by it. It was undignified (and) I was glad Kohli treated it with disdain.”

BEN HORNE (CODE SPORTS)

After Australia’s tumultuous day’s play in Perth, News Corp and CODE Sports’ Chief Cricket writer Ben Horne dissected what he believes was a harsh reality check.

“Australia’s top order is in crisis and the chastening news is there is no one standing by to bail them out,” he opened his article by saying.

Horne at length then went into the now glaring issue that is Australia’s domestic batting ranks, with no top-order candidates banging down the door to replace the likes of Labuschagne.

Josh Inglis and Beau Webster are the two most in-form domestic players in Australia right now, but neither are fit to open the batting given their red-ball expertise are seen in the middle order.

“If day four isn’t quite D-Day for the remaining members of Australia’s wobbly top six, then the heat is certainly rising on batsmen to find form by the second Test in Adelaide,” Horne emphasised.