Axe hangs over Australian batters after Darwin 'disaster'

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne (L) and Jake Weatherald face being axed for Australia's 2nd Test against Bangladesh (Martin KEEP) Australia's humiliating nine-wicket loss to Bangladesh has accelerated calls for regeneration of its ageing Test team with opener Jake Weatherald and the inconsistent Marnus Labuschagne in the firing line.  The clash in Darwin had been touted as a mismatch after Bangladesh crumbled to an innings defeat in their only warm-up game and went into the first Test without injured pace spearhead Nahid Rana. But in one of the biggest upsets cricket has seen, the visitors pulled off a historic victory Sunday to leave top-ranked Australia shell-shocked and facing recriminations. Australia have suffered surprise home defeats in the recent past, including an eight-run loss to the West Indies at the Gabba in 2024. But the manner of this crushing loss, with Bangladesh dominating each of the four days, had Australian media Monday slamming it as "a disaster" and the "most embarrassing" ever. Former captain Ricky Ponting, who scored more than 13,000 Test runs, said it was time for tough decisions. "I'm the last one to want to make change," he told Channel Seven when the Test was in its death throes.  "As a captain or as a player I wanted to keep a group together, so it has to get to a bad point before I start saying you've got to leave somebody out. "But there's been enough evidence for me coming here (Darwin) to suggest they weren't going to lose anything, or much at all, by starting that regeneration, bringing in another opener, bringing in someone at three... I think that has to happen." With the exception of Steve Smith (71 and 44) and second-innings century-maker Cameron Green, the Australian batting was poor with too many soft dismissals. Weatherald and number three Labuschagne are most at risk, both averaging under 27 since the start of the Ashes against England in late 2025 and rapidly running out of lives. "The 1-2-3, as Ricky and I will tell you, are absolutely fundamental to the set-up of a batting team," former opener Matthew Hayden told the same broadcaster. "When they are constantly putting that middle order under pressure, Steve Smith arriving way earlier than he ever needs to be, then you've got to start to answer those questions." - Bite the bullet - Josh Inglis was the spare batter for Darwin, but skipper Pat Cummins said selectors could look for alternatives outside the 13-man squad, acknowledging the batting failures were "a little bit of a trend". A rejuvenated Matt Renshaw coming in for Weatherald is the most obvious change for the second Test starting in Mackay on Saturday. But there is also growing support for a younger generation to be given a chance, with Sam Konstas, Campbell Kellaway, Ollie Peake and Cooper Connolly knocking at the door. "You have to bite the bullet at some stage," Australian great Mark Waugh said while former opener David Warner, whose place in the team has proved hard to fill since he quit in 2024, added: "I think we've got to start blooding some youngsters." With Australia facing a tough three-Test challenge in South Africa as their next assignment in October, throwing in at least one youngster at Mackay to gain experience would make sense. Australian media suggested Kurtis Patterson or Nathan McSweeney were the two frontrunners to take Labuschagne's spot, although neither has been in outstanding form. Darwin was the first of up to 21 Tests Australia will play over the next 12 months, and the tried and tested bowling unit of Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon is seemingly still in favour, despite their advanced years. Returning from injury, Hazlewood shut down debate over whether he remains Australia's first-choice attack bowler with a six-wicket haul in Bangladesh's first innings. Veteran off-spinner Lyon, also on the comeback from injury, appears most vulnerable with the 38-year-old outbowled by Bangladesh counterpart Mehidy Hasan Miraz.  Understudy Todd Murphy, 25, is considered first in the pecking order to take over. mp/pst