Star Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne had a hard time batting in Test cricket of late. In the first Test against India in Perth, the 30-year-old managed two and three runs each in two innings as the hosts ended up suffering an embarrassing 295-run defeat. There has been enough talk about Labuschagne's form ahead of the Adelaide Test with former cricketer Mitchell Johnson even advising the team management to let go of him from the playing XI. Former captain Ricky Ponting however didn't agree and reiterated that the team needs to support 'champion' players. He noted that Labuschagne has to find a way to arrest the slide and analyzed both his innings of Perth. The cricketer is Australia's number-one ranked Test batter but since the Pakistan series in January, he has averaged only 13.66, which is very disturbing. Also Read | 'Doubters can rest in peace,'-Ajay Jadeja Responds to Virat Kohli's Critics Here is what Ponting said in the latest ICC review “I think you have to show faith in champion players. A lot of the guys that we're talking about in this team have been champion players. Maybe albeit not for a little while. I think I read somewhere the other day that Marnus is averaging 13 since January (after the Pakistan series) in Tests. So he's really got to find a way to turn it around. He was the one that looked most tentative to me out of all the batsmen in Perth,” “Yes, it was high-quality bowling. Yes, it was a difficult wicket to bat on. But when you're facing the best bowlers as a batsman, you have to take more risks. I think that's going to be the great challenge for Marnus and co. this week. It’s probably just letting go a little bit. Think about scoring runs first and not think about getting out first. There’s only one way to change it, and that is to be positive and show great intent,” the 49-year-old added. Trailing 1-0 in the five-match series, Pat Cummins-led Australia need to regain winning momentum soon as their passage to the World Test Championship final is heavily reliant on the current Indian series.