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Coaches to let Smith, Labuschagne free in net return

Coach Andrew McDonald is confident Marnus Labuschagne will rebound for the next Test. (AP PHOTO)

Australia's coaches will not hold Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith back from returning to training early as they work to remedy their first Test issues.

Labuschagne was caught behind twice off Stuart Broad's outswingers for scores of 0 and 13 in the win at Edgbaston, while Smith also had two failures with scores of 16 and 6.

Combined, it marked the lowest returns between the pair in any Test matches played together.

Australia had initially earmarked Saturday as a rest day for the majority Australia's main group, after back-to-back Tests against India and England and busy month ahead.

However there is unlikely to be any objection to Labuschagne or Smith batting if they want to, with the pair the longest netters in the Australian team at the best of times.

"There will be no doubt a craving for more net sessions from Marn and Smudge," coach Andrew McDonald said.

"They're disappointed they missed out in this game, but I think any time the Australian cricket team can win without those two performing at high level is always a positive.

'We've got some areas we can improve, there's some growth within the team and there's two obvious ones.

"It's very rare that Marn and Smudge miss out in the same Test match.

'It's an appetising thought."

Labuschagne's dismissals were the more concerning of the pair, given both outs came when he felt for a ball outside off stump off Broad.

Broad had trumpeted his new outswinger in the lead up to the Ashes as one he had designed to dismiss Smith and Labuschagne, with both averaging above 50 in Test cricket.

But McDonald was adamant the pair could rebound.

"I think there's always a curiosity to get better, so we're not going to stall that in any way," McDonald said.

"They'll come up with different plans, different movements.

"They've seen what England are going to do and how they're going to attack them, and they're probably two of the greatest problem-solvers we've had over a period of time. 

"So you would expect them to go back to the drawing board.

"And Michael di Venuto will be part of that process, and they'll come out pretty clear what they need to do next innings.

"But there's no issue there."

McDonald was also positive on the form of Warner, who looked good in his second-innings 36 that helped set up Australia's chase of 281.

"The way that he moved in the second innings with the intent that he had, along with the first innings at The Oval in the World Test Championship Final, anyone watching that would say those movement patterns are good," McDonald said. 

"The intent that he had, the way that he was going about it is the way we want him to play and put pressure back on to England."

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