Former Australian cricketer Kim Hughes suggests Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne’s batting woes boil down to overthinking and over analysis of the game. 

The pair’s batting has been under the microscope for a lacklustre performance against India in which the pair combined for 22 runs during the first test – 17 of which belonged to Smith’s knock in the second innings. 

The No. 3 batsman is facing calls to be dropped after making just five runs in the Perth test – including 2 from 52 balls in the first innings. Labuschagne has also made just one Test century in his last 41 knocks for Australia. 

The Australian set up will back in the struggling duo in the upcoming Adelaide Test, despite their significant slump in form and heavy scrutiny. 

Speaking on SportFM, Hughes believes there will be changes should this slump and lack of runs continues. 

“Labuschagne and Smith particularly, they’ve come under a fair bit of pressure,” he said. 

“No one would spend more time in the nets than Labuschagne and Smith but there can be a thing called a paralysis by analysis and that’s what it looked like.”

“Labuschagne batting in the first it was just unfathomable because he didn’t look as if he wanted to play the ball. Just watch it, hit it and be positive and he just looked like he wanted the ball to hit him so hopefully he gets it right. 

“I thought he was 33 or 34, but the way he was batting that day he was 55. He’s only 30. He’s still got a lot of cricket in front of him but if he doesn’t perform well in this game and neither does Smith I’d start to make a couple of changes. 

“Bancroft is back in form and of course the young boy from New South Wales scored a fantastic hundred off 90 balls in the recent one-day game against India. If we don’t play well, if we happen to lose this next Test match, two down, only three to go, that there will be changes.” 

Australia has already made one change to the side set to take on India in Adelaide, with quick Josh Hazlewood ruled out with a side strain. 

This opens the door for Victorian Scott Boland to come in as a replacement, meanwhile Beau Webster, Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett have been added to the squad. 

All rounder Mitch Marsh could also be sidelined from the Day-Night clash after pulling up sore post-Perth Test. 

With injuries to fast bowlers becoming a common reoccurrence within the Australian side, suggests the bowlers’ demands are too much.

“The bowlers no sooner start to have a bowl and they get injured. We’ve got Hazelwood’s now injured with a thigh thing. Mitchell Marsh was struggling with his bowling,” he said.

“I know sports science is important at the end of the day. I think there’s too much of it. I know from Dennis (Lillee)’s point of view, he would never ever bowl anything less than maybe an hour and a half in the nets.”

“They weren’t half rat power and the same with all of the bowlers, it’s a tough gig. You need to be conditioned and our blokes now soon as the thing gets started and all of a sudden they’re on interchange again through injury.”

On the Indian front, captain Rohit Sharma who missed the first test due to the birth of his second child back home in Mumbai is set to return in Adelaide, as is Shubman Gill who has recovered from a thumb injury. 

The returning duo loom as two handy inclusions for the tourists and bring a wealth of experience to the already dangerous line up.

However, Hughes is hoping the tide can change, and wicketkeeper Alex Carey can fire up his teammates as they play on his stomping ground.

“Things can change very quickly and you would like to think with the Aussie attitude and the Baggy Green in hand that they do fire up and want to see a bit of animation,” he said.

“On the field and I’ve said it for a long while the most important person is not the captain, it’s the wicketkeeper on the field. he sets the scene with the throws coming in, a bit of encouragement. 

“He understands what the bowler is doing or is pulling away or whatever it is and absolutely crucial. Carey seems to be a nice guy, quite gentle but he needs to get up a bit and go come on let’s get stuck in here, we’re playing with a baggy green on and we need to get up them.

“That sounds pretty simple, but it would be, wicketkeepers are absolutely crucial and he needs to be a bit more boisterous.” 

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