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Skipper’s ominous response after Aussies fail in Perth

Skipper’s ominous response after Aussies fail in Perth

Australian captain Pat Cummins has failed to guarantee the struggling top-order will remain in tact for the second Test match against India.

In one of the worst losses on home soil in recent memory, the Aussies were completely blown off the park by the visitors, falling by 295 runs on day four.

Despite some solid performances in the middle from Travis Head (89) and Mitchell Marsh (47), it wasn’t enough to stop the Indian onslaught.

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Speaking to Fox Cricket in the moments after the loss, Cummins admitted it was a bitter pill to swallow but immediately turned his attention to the second Test on December 6.

Pat Cummins speaks to Adam Gilchrist post-game. Fox Cricket

“Fairly disappointing,” the skipper said.

“We thought our prep leading in was really good, everyone was firing. It was just one of those games where not much went right. We’ve got a fair bit to look at.

“We didn’t really give ourselves a chance in a few different facets. I think late on day one, if we just got through that period maybe the game looks a little bit different. There were a few different areas we need to clean up.

“After a loss, you always want to get back on the horse pretty quickly, but we’ll take a couple of days rest and then get into Adelaide.”

A pink-ball clash against India, who are set to welcome back Rohit Sharma and have Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin also waiting in the wings, will be crucial for the Aussies if they are going to turn things around.

Plenty of speculation in the coming days will come around the selection table, with the likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith under growing pressure.

Marnus Labuschagne failed to fire in Perth.  Getty

When quizzed on whether the XI would remain the same, Cummins failed to give a clear answer and admitted there would be “plenty of conversations” in the coming days.

“Oh, you know, there’s a lot of experience there,” he said.

“This summer it’s a sample size of one. I think they are going about their work really well, but no doubt we’ve got a bit of work to do.

“This week, I’m sure there will be plenty of conversations and plenty of time in the nets.”

Nathan McSweeney also struggled on his Test debut, while opener partner Usman Khawaja threw his wicket away in the second innings.