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Marnus Labuschagne's last Test hundred came in July 2023 © Getty
Acknowledging that Marnus Labuschagne is going through "one of those patches" in his career, Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald has called for more "intent at the crease" from his No. 3 batter.
In the lead-up to the series, Labuschagne spoke about playing the "long game," emulating the role Cheteshwar Pujara successfully played for India on their last two tours Down Under. However, Labuschagne's recent form has hindered those plans. In the Perth Test, he managed just 2 runs off 52 balls in the first innings and 3 runs off 5 in the second.
Lately, Labuschagne has struggled in Test cricket, averaging just under 35 across 13 matches in 2023 and 24.5 across six matches this year. His last Test hundred came in July 2023 in Manchester, but it's not just the lack of runs that's concerning; his scrambled mindset at the crease has also raised questions.
"It's always a combination of factors, isn't it, with the mindset?" McDonald said. "There are technical aspects to that as well, but we're really confident he can turn it around.
"When we've seen him at his best, he's shown great intent at the crease," McDonald added. "That's an ongoing discussion. It ebbs and flows throughout players' careers. At the moment, he's in one of those patches, and no doubt he'll be critiqued externally. Internally, we're really confident that, at his best, he's the player we need."
A significant hurdle for Labuschagne in the remaining four Tests against India will be overcoming Jasprit Bumrah, who took eight wickets in the first Test in Perth. Bumrah had Labuschagne edging early in the first innings, only for Virat Kohli to drop a sitter. In the second innings, Bumrah didn't need any help, trapping Labuschagne lbw with a sharp incoming delivery.
"To me, it's about how you're going to score runs off Jasprit," McDonald explained. "It's one thing to sit there and think, 'How am I going to defend the good balls?' But the real art is putting pressure back on him and knowing where you can score."
McDonald emphasized the importance of maintaining clarity under pressure. "The boys were clear coming in... but it's one thing to be clear in your plans and another to maintain that mindset in the heat of battle. That's going to be our challenge."
The head coach also backed Australia's bowling attack, which struggled to match Bumrah's brilliance in Perth, despite conditions favouring their tall, homegrown bowlers.
"He was good," McDonald said of Bumrah, "but I've seen our bowlers be equally good... we've got some really strong stocks in our changeroom as well. So while the focus will be on their performance, it's remiss not to mention how good our attack is. They'll be looking to rebound in Adelaide and throughout the series."
For now, Labuschagne will remain in the squad for Adelaide, though Australia faces a decision on whether to play him or give an opportunity to Josh Inglis, who is in red-hot form with two centuries in his last four Sheffield Shield games.
"We'll assess that as we go along," McDonald said. "But the squad that's in Perth will also be there in Adelaide."
Acknowledging that Marnus Labuschagne is going through "one of those patches" in his career, Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald has called for more "intent at the crease" from his No. 3 batter.
In the lead-up to the series, Labuschagne spoke about playing the "long game," emulating the role Cheteshwar Pujara successfully played for India on their last two tours Down Under. However, Labuschagne's recent form has hindered those plans. In the Perth Test, he managed just 2 runs off 52 balls in the first innings and 3 runs off 5 in the second.
Lately, Labuschagne has struggled in Test cricket, averaging just under 35 across 13 matches in 2023 and 24.5 across six matches this year. His last Test hundred came in July 2023 in Manchester, but it's not just the lack of runs that's concerning; his scrambled mindset at the crease has also raised questions.
"It's always a combination of factors, isn't it, with the mindset?" McDonald said. "There are technical aspects to that as well, but we're really confident he can turn it around.
"When we've seen him at his best, he's shown great intent at the crease," McDonald added. "That's an ongoing discussion. It ebbs and flows throughout players' careers. At the moment, he's in one of those patches, and no doubt he'll be critiqued externally. Internally, we're really confident that, at his best, he's the player we need."
A significant hurdle for Labuschagne in the remaining four Tests against India will be overcoming Jasprit Bumrah, who took eight wickets in the first Test in Perth. Bumrah had Labuschagne edging early in the first innings, only for Virat Kohli to drop a sitter. In the second innings, Bumrah didn't need any help, trapping Labuschagne lbw with a sharp incoming delivery.
"To me, it's about how you're going to score runs off Jasprit," McDonald explained. "It's one thing to sit there and think, 'How am I going to defend the good balls?' But the real art is putting pressure back on him and knowing where you can score."
McDonald emphasized the importance of maintaining clarity under pressure. "The boys were clear coming in... but it's one thing to be clear in your plans and another to maintain that mindset in the heat of battle. That's going to be our challenge."
The head coach also backed Australia's bowling attack, which struggled to match Bumrah's brilliance in Perth, despite conditions favouring their tall, homegrown bowlers.
"He was good," McDonald said of Bumrah, "but I've seen our bowlers be equally good... we've got some really strong stocks in our changeroom as well. So while the focus will be on their performance, it's remiss not to mention how good our attack is. They'll be looking to rebound in Adelaide and throughout the series."
For now, Labuschagne will remain in the squad for Adelaide, though Australia faces a decision on whether to play him or give an opportunity to Josh Inglis, who is in red-hot form with two centuries in his last four Sheffield Shield games.
"We'll assess that as we go along," McDonald said. "But the squad that's in Perth will also be there in Adelaide."