Australia's Carey Surprised by Reaction to Perth Loss

Alex Carey expressed surprise at the "big reaction" to Australia's 295-run loss in the opening Test match of the summer in Perth. "I think it's quite a big reaction, externally, for one Test loss," Carey said. "Internally, we don't feel that."

India's Dominant Performance

The Pat Cummins-led side was outplayed by an Indian team missing key players, including regular captain Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami, and even stalwarts Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. India's massive victory, their second-biggest outside Asia by runs, condemned Australia to their second-lowest match aggregate since 2000.

Drama and Speculation

Adam Gilchrist was critical of Australia's decision to have Marnus Labuschagne bowl bouncers, describing the team as "despondent" and resorting to "negative, illegal tactics". Michael Vaughan felt that India had "embarrassed" Australia over the course of four days. Josh Hazlewood's pointed response in a press conference sparked speculation about a potential divide in the dressing room.

Australia's Response

Carey assured that his team remains "calm" amidst the storm and is hopeful of Australia putting in a better performance come the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. "We didn't play the way we would have liked to have played, but we know over five Test matches. If we keep rocking up and playing our style of cricket, we will have success," Carey said.

Mitchell Marsh's Fitness

The fitness of Mitchell Marsh, who bowled only 12 overs in the third innings in Perth, was a concern in the aftermath of Australia's defeat. Carey reckoned that the all-rounder is almost definitely making it to the Playing XI. "He has been home, but I think he'll be right. I haven't heard otherwise," Carey said.