Marnus Labuschagne wants to make a big comeback to Australian cricket this year. The talented batsman got dropped from the Test team after performing poorly recently. Now he’s willing to bat anywhere just to get back in the squad.
Labuschagne usually bats at number three, but he’ll open if that’s what Australia needs. He told everyone he doesn’t care about his batting position anymore. Getting back into the Test team matters more than where he bats.
The right-handed batsman has been struggling with his form since December 2022, unfortunately. His batting average dropped to just 33.08, which worried the team selectors a lot. This poor performance cost him his place in Australia’s Test squad completely.
Labuschagne Ready to Open Batting
Australia needs new opening batsmen for the upcoming Ashes series against England. Labuschagne jumped at this chance to prove himself in a different role. He said opening the batting would be totally fine with him now.
“I would be happy to do that [open batting] – I would love to,” he said in an interview. “If opener is where I need to bat to be playing in the Test team, that’s fine.”
Cameron Green has been batting really well at the number three position lately. Green averaged over 30+ during the West Indies tour, which impressed everyone. This means Labuschagne can’t get his old batting spot back easily anymore.
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Labuschagne opened during the World Test Championship Final against South Africa earlier this year. He only scored 39 runs in both innings combined, which wasn’t great. But he believes he can do much better if given another chance.
“If you had asked me where I prefer to bat, obviously, I have batted at three my whole career, but at this stage, you don’t get a choice. I opened in the World Test Championship final and felt I batted quite well. I got in but did not go on with it.”
Must Perform in Shield Games
Labuschagne will play three Sheffield Shield matches before the home Test series starts. These domestic games will decide whether he gets picked for the Ashes team. He knows this is his last chance to impress the selectors properly.
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The Australian batsman needs to score big runs in these Shield matches desperately. Small scores won’t be enough to convince team bosses about his comeback. Labuschagne must convert his good starts into huge hundreds like before.
He’s still part of Australia’s ODI squad and might play against South Africa soon. But Test cricket remains his main focus because that’s where he built his reputation.
