- Australia was comprehensively beaten in first Test
- Questions have been asked over the batting order
- Martyn has denied calling for the axe to fall on Smith
Former Australian Test great Damien Martyn has been forced to deny claims he endorsed dropping Steve Smith for the second Test against India in Adelaide.
The Aussies are under enormous pressure after being pumped by India in the first Test in Perth.
India has always won the last two series between the sides in Australia, with the top order of the Aussie Test side under the most pressure to perform.
It was the worst loss in terms of runs for the opening Test of a home summer since 1936-37 with the likes of Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Smith all having a torrid time against the pace of Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah.
That has led to some cricket supporters calling for the likes of Labuschagne and Smith to be dropped to Sheffield Shield because of the loss.
Following the heavy defeat, Martyn posted to social media platform X. ‘Does the Australian Cricket team make changes for the Adelaide test match? Or do they stick with the team from Perth? If not then what changes are you making?’
Former Test star Damien Martyn has denied endorsing the axing of Aussie star Steve Smith
Smith is enduring a lean run of form and struggled for impact in the first Test against India
A fan then replied, ‘My initial reaction after Perth was to make 2 changes but the reality is I’d probably do 1. Bring in Inglis or Cartwright for Marnus. Then if Smith fails badly in Adelaide, he’s next out.’
Martyn replied ‘fair point’ to the supporter with a series of emojis, which has been taken as meaning the former Test star endorsed the opinion that Smith should be dropped.
But Martyn has quickly quashed those suggestions, saying he uses emojis on every response to boost engagement.
‘This is what’s wrong with journalism now … just follow social media and make up lies,’ he posted.
‘I did not say drop @stevesmith49 and never would.
‘I reply to all on social media with [emojis] for engagement.’
While Martyn was forced to deny calling for Smith to be dropped, another former Test great was less forgiving.
Former pace superstar Mitchell Johnson wrote in his News Corp column that Marnus Labuschagne should face the axe for a string of recent results, including scores of just 2 and 3 in Perth.
Mitchell Johnson has called for Marnus Labuschagne to be dropped to find form in the Shield
Labuschagne struggled badly in Perth and could only manage scores of 2 and 3 against India
‘Marnus Labuschagne — after a lengthy poor run with the bat — should be replaced for the second Test in Adelaide,’ Johnson wrote.
‘And that’s not for the sake of having someone pay the price for the thrashing in Perth.
‘I honestly believe the best thing for Labuschagne at this stage would be to be left out.
‘It would give him a chance to play some Sheffield Shield and club cricket away from the pressure of playing for your country and I feel he would benefit from that more than going out there trying to survive against Jasprit Bumrah and co.
‘Some will say, hold up a minute, it’s just the first Test of a long summer. But this has been going on for a while. In his past 10 Test innings, he’s passed 10 just once.
‘Dropping Labuschagne, 30, would not mean he doesn’t still have a long future in the Test team or that he’s the wrong player to bat at three.
‘For the time being in this form slump though, we need him to be better – which means making big runs, not bowling bouncers and risking the potential of injury when that’s the job of the bowlers in the team.
‘Cricketers get dropped at some point of their careers and it’s about how you bounce back from that.
‘With him at the moment, it’s not through a lack of trying everything to get better and bat his way back into form. He’s trying to fight through it in the middle but it’s not currently working.’
Neither Smith nor Labuschagne is expected to be dropped for the second Test.
The group will gather in Adelaide one day ahead of schedule on Monday, with all eyes to be on Mitch Marsh’s sore ankle before the first ball on Friday.
The uncapped Beau Webster has been called into the squad and is expected to remain with the group in Brisbane.
