Last chance for Marnus as bleak Glamorgan spell might spell doom for his chances of making the team to play in the WTC Final.
Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne faces a last chance to make a positive contribution with the bat.
To what extent will the happenings in Cardiff over the next four days impact Australia’s World Test Championship final preparations? Before the selectors make a choice regarding the batting order, Marnus Labuschagne has one more game against Middlesex to regain his form following his two defeats against Northamptonshire.
Even though Cameron Green won’t be able to bowl, his recall for the last match against South Africa seems more certain after his impressive performance against Kent. Josh Inglis is an outside option because chair of selectors George Bailey included his name in the mix, but Labuschagne and Sam Konstas would seem to be the final choice if Beau Webster’s overs are desired and Josh Hazlewood’s shoulder doesn’t become a problem. Usman Khawaja’s opening partner will be the one who is selected.
The results of two County Championship matches may not have a significant impact on the selectors, but Labuschagne, an established Test player with an average of 46.76 and 11 hundreds, is not entering the discussion in a strong position. His last century in all first-class cricket was in June 2024, and he only has one century in this WTC cycle, which was against England 29 innings ago during the 2023 Ashes. His Test figure is 28.33.
After much deliberation, the selectors will decide to put Labuschagne aside. The three half-centuries he made against India last season, even when he wasn’t playing at his best, all came at pivotal points in the series. Labuschagne, in contrast to Konstas, has a great deal of batting experience in England. However, if they decide to essentially produce another opener, it would prolong their peculiar period at the top of Australia’s list.
“I do think it’s a role that more people could do,” Bailey said when the squad was announced. “I know there is a prevailing thought it is a specialised role. In certain conditions, there’s opportunities at different times that guys could do it.”