Veteran Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson has voiced his opinion on Marnus Labuschagne's Test cricket form and bluntly stated that it's time to drop him from the playing XI for the second Test against India. Labuschagne struggled miserably against the Indian pacers in the opening Test, where he scored just 2 and 3. It was not just the low score but also his approach, which came under the scanners as he played 52 balls in the first innings and hit just two runs. He looked low on confidence, and the Indian pacers took advantage of it.

Labuschagne has scored just 245 runs in six Tests this year at an underwhelming average of 24.50, with two half-centuries.

Johnson has made it clear that Labuschagne needs to be dropped for the pink-ball Test, not as the scapegoat for Perth's defeat but for his lengthy poor form.

"Marnus Labuschagne - after a lengthy poor run with the bat - should be replaced for the second Test in Adelaide. And that's not for the sake of having someone pay the price for the thrashing in Perth," Johnson wrote in ‘Nightly.’

"It would give him a chance to play some Sheffield Shield and club cricket away from the pressure of playing for your country. I feel he would benefit from that more than going out there trying to survive against Jasprit Bumrah and co.," Johnson added.

The former pacer advised Labuschagne to go back to domestic cricket and rediscover his form.

"Dropping Labuschagne would not mean he doesn't still have a long future in the Test team or that he's the wrong player to bat at three. For the time being, in this form slump, we need him to be better - which means making big runs," Johnson noted.

'Steve Smith's form a serious concern': Mitchell Johnson

Steve Smith, who returned to the number 4 position in first Test, also struggling with the form this year and scored 230 runs in 6 Tests, averaging a poor 25.55, with just one fifty to his name.

Johnson, who took 313 wickets with his left-arm pace and made 2065 runs from 73 Tests, said veteran Smith, too, looked jaded in Perth.

"Steve Smith's form is a serious concern. He looks like he has lost his sharpness we are used to, missing balls on his pads that in the past were easy runs," Johnson observed

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