Michael Clarke launched an impassioned defence of Phillip Hughes but the selection axe hovers menacingly over the struggling opener after an embarrassing failure at the Gabba on Sunday.

Hughes' immediate Test future is again in grave doubt after he offered two successive catches to the slips cordon during a forgettable six-ball stay.

The left-hander, who was caught in the gully for 10 in the first innings, went the same way in the second dig off beanpole quick Chris Martin for 7.

But what was even more damning for the unorthodox 23-year-old, who consistently falls to catches in the cordon, was his dismissal came immediately after edging to second slip where Brendon McCullum dropped a simple chance.

While the Black Caps had no joy from the first Test, one consolation captain Ross Taylor claimed from the nine-wicket loss was the continued torment of Hughes.

Asked if he hoped Hughes was selected on Monday for the second Test in Hobart, Taylor said: "I would love him to be in the team.

"If Hughes plays again in Tasmania then Chris Martin will be bowling at him and hopefully (gully fielder) Martin Guptill takes the third catch as well.

"We had a lot of video footage of all the Australian players and how they get out and Hughes got caught at second, third slip and gully a lot in the Ashes and the series against South Africa, so that was definitely an area we wanted to target."

With Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh poised to return to the top-order in the next two Tests, and all-rounder Dan Christian on stand-by for Hobart to better balance the side, Hughes is vulnerable due to his unreliability facing the new ball.

He scored 126 against Sri Lanka and 88 against South Africa in the last two series but they are the only occasions he has passed 36 in his last 17 Test innings.

After averaging 69 following his debut Test series against South Africa three years ago, Hughes has seen his average sliced in half - to now be just 36.

But Australia captain Clarke, now one of five Test selectors, says he is not concerned and claimed his opener's homespun technique had improved since the 2009 Ashes when terrorised by Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison

"I'll look forward to a press conference where I don't get asked about Phillip Hughes," he said.

"I'm sure he will be disappointed personally that he hasn't made any runs in this Test match but I'm confident he can put his hand up in Hobart.

"He got a hundred not that long ago and 80-odd not that long ago.

"I have seen a lot of improvement (since the Ashes). I continue to see him scoring runs, (but) probably not as consistently as he would like."

AAP