3 minute read

Travis Head has cautioned against confusing a bad week with a bad team, insisting Australia will perform under pressure after their concerning loss to India.

Travis Head says it's folly to write off Australia's Test team after their horror series-opening loss to India.

Head believes the Australian trait of fighting best with backs to the proverbial wall will be on display in the second Test starting in Adelaide on Friday.

"This team has dealt with adversity well," Head told reporters on Monday.

"The small amount that we have had in the last three or four years, we have played well.

"We've had some challenging times and a couple of challenging Tests last year that we're able to get ourselves out of ... it's a group that is well balanced and knows where it's at.

"We didn't have a very good week. That's fine.

"But we have got four more opportunities to do it, we will crack on as we do, as we have done for the last few years.

"As a team we've been good for a period of time - we had a bad week.

"Over the last couple of years, there's a lot of teams that lost the first Test or gone down in the series and brought it back and played really well."

An extended Australian squad assembled in Adelaide on Monday for the day-night fixture against India, who won the first Test in Perth by a whopping 295 runs.

Doubt surrounds the fitness of allrounder Mitch Marsh, who pulled up sore after the Perth Test, with selectors summoning Beau Webster into the Adelaide squad.

Pacemen Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett have also joined the squad but Scott Boland is favoured to replace Josh Hazlewood, who is sidelined by a side strain.

"It can be put to bed," Head said of suggestions of a divide in the Australian ranks.

"We hold high expectations for both sides (batting and bowling) and it's a very individualised sport.

"So batters, we want to hold our own - we know how good our bowlers have been for us in the past and they've got us out of trouble a lot.

"As a batting group, we know that if we get enough runs on the board, we put ourselves in a great position.

"As a batter myself, I try to take a whole lot of pride in what I do, and knowing that if I can set it up for the big boys, that they can knock it down for us, so definitely no divide."

Head also backed Marnus Labuschagne to rally amid critics querying his place in the team after an extended run of low scores.

"Knowing Marnus, he would have worked on a few things over the last few days and it would have been hard to probably keep him out of the nets," he said.

"No doubt over the next few days we'll see him working hard again.

"He's a guy that has played well over a long period of time. He would like some more runs - so would everyone.

"And he's got an opportunity over the next few days to continue to do what he does ... I just hope he goes in fresh and eager to play well."