Burns, Mennie help Aust reset after WACA

Australia were humbled in the first Test against South Africa but recalled opener Joe Burns and debutant paceman Joe Mennie carry no baggage from that game.

Joe Burns and Joe Mennie will offer fresh perspective to Australia's Test XI after the 177-run thumping dished out by South Africa in Perth.

Burns, Mennie and Callum Ferguson have joined the squad in Hobart following Australia's embarrassing defeat at the WACA, which represented the first time they have lost the first Test of a home summer since 1988.

Burns is set to open in the absence of Shaun Marsh (broken finger), while Mennie will make his Test debut due to Peter Siddle's back injury.

Both men watched little of the first Test as they were representing Queensland and South Australia respectively in the second round of the Sheffield Shield.

Both are confident Australia can snap a four-Test losing streak and square the three-Test series against the Proteas.

"I didn't see too much. I saw a little bit of the highlights. I thought they bowled really well," Burns said of the Proteas.

"Obviously we knew they're a very talented team and that they'd be a very tough challenge.

"We've got no doubt we can certainly turn it around. Obviously a lot of hard work will go into it but certainly very confident going into the rest of the series."

Mennie noted he watched some of the action on day five but would be reviewing South Africa's star-studded batting order in great detail.

"I'll go back and look at footage and get stuff I need in that regard," Mennie said.

There has been plenty of talk about the culture of the Australian side in recent weeks.

Burns indicated he hadn't noticed any obvious change since the tour of Sri Lanka in August, when Australia relinquished the No.1 Test ranking in a 3-0 series loss to the hosts.

"Being away from the group and coming back in, it seems like the same group of boys," the opener said.

"We're still enjoying being around each other.

"It's very simple for this group, we just have to make sure we're playing our best cricket, and if we're playing our best cricket I've got no doubt we'll win Test matches."


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Source: AAP



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