Australia coach stands firm, rules out major changes for Adelaide Test

After a heavy defeat to India in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia coach Andrew McDonald has ruled out making big changes to the team for the second Test in Adelaide.  

Speaking after the loss, McDonald expressed confidence in the current squad, which includes the playing XI from Perth, along with wicket-keeper Josh Inglis and pacer Scott Boland. “The people in that changeroom are the same people that will be in Adelaide,” McDonald said, emphasizing the need to back the team to bounce back.  

He added that player selection always considers the conditions but maintained trust in the current group to deliver.  

While the form of Marnus Labuschagne remains a talking point, McDonald remains optimistic about the No. 3 batter’s ability to turn things around. “That’s an ongoing discussion and that ebbs and flows in players' careers. At the moment, he’s in one of those patches, and no doubt he’ll be getting critiqued externally,” McDonald stated. “But internally, we’re really confident that, at his best, he’s the player that we need.”  

McDonald also dismissed the idea of sending players to domestic cricket for extra preparation before the second Test. “That hasn’t crossed our minds. We feel that with the long summer ahead, the prep we’ve got in place – albeit we’ve extended that by a day in Adelaide – we’ll be well-prepared,” he said.  

All-rounder Mitch Marsh’s fitness is another area of concern. Marsh, who recently recovered from a hamstring injury, bowled 17 overs in the first Test. While he was economical in the first innings, he struggled in the second. McDonald acknowledged Marsh was “slightly underdone” but found his first-innings performance “satisfactory.”  

Despite the crushing defeat, McDonald said the team’s morale remains strong. “I think morale is pretty good. I think this team is really good at the highs and lows; it’s quite a level team, so we’ll be somewhere in the middle of that,” he said.  

Australia now turns its focus to the second Test, starting on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval.