Justin Langer dragged into Aussie furore after humiliation in first Test

Australia's former cricket coach Justin Langer has been dragged into an ugly social media storm after the embarrassing first Test defeat to India in Nagpur. Pat Cummins' men are licking their wounds after being thoroughly outclassed by the hosts in an innings and 132-run defeat.

Not one batter from Australia registered a half century in the match, with India's spinners Ravi Jedeja and Ravi Ashwin proving too much for the hapless visiting batters to deal with. The defeat was particularly embarrassing after the Aussies were rolled for 91 in the second innings - the lowest total Australia has ever recorded in a series in India.

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The margin of defeat also represented the third biggest loss for Australia in India, with some supporters of Langer questioning the decision to push the former coach towards the exit door last year. One of Langer's former teammates, Damien Martyn, reacted to the humiliating Aussie defeat by tweeting: “#justinlanger”, before removing the post after it sparked uproar.

Cricket journalist Huw Turberville also added on Twitter: “All that sitting deep in the crease and playing the Indian spinners on the back foot… I’m sure Justin Langer wouldn’t have coached that”. Australian journalist and radio host Chris O’Keefe was another to question the treatment of Langer after the defeat, posting: “Good call sacking Justin Langer. What an embarrassment”.

Langer's exit from Australia came after players expressed reservations about his intense management style, which he attempted to tone down before ultimately falling on his sword. While many cricket fans argued the Aussie players could have done with some of Langer's hard-nosed edge, grit and determination in the first Test against India, others pointed out that Langer presided over his own humiliating defeats to India, with Australia losing its last two home Test series against the Indian side.

Former Australia captain Allan Border was among those calling on the Aussie players to show a 'harder edge' in the second Test after describing their humbling defeat as "embarrassing". Border was furious that some of Australia's batters, most notably Steve Smith, commended India's bowlers and even offered them a thumbs-up when they delivered good balls during the Test match.

“Play with a harder edge. I mean, we’re giving blokes the thumbs up when they’re beating us outside the off stump,” Border told Fox Cricket after the match. “What the hell is going on? That is just ridiculous.

“Don’t go stupid, but Australia play hard-nosed cricket. We’re even giving someone thumbs up ... bloody hell.”

Aussie side remaining positive despite first Test shocker

Australia coach Andrew McDonald is refusing to panic though and has urged his team to stick to the plan in the wake of their horror start to the Border-Gavaskar series. Things don't get any easier for the tourists for the second Test in Delhi, where the home side have not tasted defeat in a Test since 1987.

Cummins' team have shown they can be resilient, best demonstrated when it took to the 15th and final day of last year's tour of Pakistan to clinch the series. "If you feel as though your preparation was good and the way you want to go about it is good then you recommit to that," Aussie coach McDonald said.

"If you shift and try to change too much that's when you get lost as a touring team. We've seen teams come to Australia and try to do the same."

McDonald has flagged some changes to the XI as quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, as well as allrounder Cameron Green, push for selection. Queensland left-arm orthodox spinner Matthew Kuhnemann is a "live chance" to play as third tweaker, with Nathan Lyon and breakout first Test star Todd Murphy in Delhi.

Kuhnemann is replacing state teammate Mitchell Swepson, who is returning home to be with his partner ahead of the birth of their first child. Swepson is expected to return to India ahead of the third Test, scheduled to begin on March 1.

"We feel as though when we came here we had a clear vision of how to play, how we want to go about it and we need to reinvest into that," McDonald added. "We feel as though it can work and the players within the change room are very capable for the challenges ahead.

"We had a slight setback in the first Test match, we got behind in the game. Are we able to shift the pressure back into the Indian dressing room? That's the key."

with AAP

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