Australian captain Ricky Ponting made the announcement yesterday paving the way for inform quicks Ryan Harris and Doug Bollinger to fight it out for the last position in the team.
"We haven't got an 11 yet, we'll finalise an 11 in the morning but Mitchell Johnson is out of the 12," said Ponting.
"So we're down to the other quickies who are left and we'll decide on the final make-up of what the 11 is going to be in the morning.
"The selectors felt he was down on a bit of form and down on a bit of rhythm and I think that was highlighted last game. As we all know the game of Test match cricket is hard enough as it is without having to try and find those types of things in the middle of a Test," he said.
Following Ponting's comments, some Cricket commentators are questioning whether the decision to only cut Johnson is, in effect, blaming Johnson for Australia's poor performance in the first test.
The fact is that Australia's poor performance cannot be laid squarely on Johnson's 0/170 bowling figures.
Xavier Doherty came into the match with high expectations and seemed like he was going to deliver with a strong first innings performance. However, Doherty suffered figures worse than Johnson in the second innings failing to take wickets when spinners are meant to take them – at the end of the 5 day match.
Meanwhile Nathan Hauritz, who was dumped to make way for Doherty, has taken 5 wickets in a match winning performance for New South Wales against WA.
There's not much more a spinner can do to make a bid for a test spot than take 5 wickets on the final day of domestic match.
The reason Hauritz should get a call up to the test team is not just the number of wickets he took, but the fashion in which he got them. His bowling figures were simply astonishing.
Bowling 27 overs on the final day's play Hauritz was hit for only 39 runs in total. That is just over a run an over – plus the 5 wickets.
However, it is believed Ponting has personally backed the inclusion of Doherty in the second test over Hauritz.
Clearly Hauritz doesn't have many friends in the selectors or in the leadership team and will have to continue to let his bowling do the talking. He should take solace from his Queensland compatriot, Matthew Hayden, who spent 6 years out of the Australian Cricket team after being first selected and went on to become one of Australia greatest ever-opening batsmen.
With all the pundits having their say on the likely hood of an Australian cricketing comeback in the second test I guess the proof will be in the pudding.
Play kicks from the Adelaide Oval today.