Analysis: The numbers which show why Marnus Labuschagne should be Australia’s next Test opener
It has been said that Marnus Labuschagne has an aversion to opening the batting, and would rather stay at No. 3, but some key statistics put forward a compelling case he could be the Test opener hiding in plain sight.
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It was only 11 months ago Usman Khawaja said Marnus Labuschagne had “openingitis”.
Khawaja, who started his Test career at No. 3 before establishing himself as an opener, was asked whether Labuschagne could be the long-term answer post-David Warner.
“Have you asked Marnus this?’’ Khawaja said with a grin. “I think he will give you a really clear ‘hell no’.
“Marnus has openingitis. I am pretty sure David Warner hurt his arm and they sent Alex Carey out to open so I think it’s a longshot.’’
As recently as September, Travis Head was the player being touted to partner Khawaja for the first Test against India in Perth.
It had worked in white-ball cricket – so why not Tests?
Fast forward two months and there are four contenders locked in a so-called ‘bat off’ to try and win the chance to partner Khawaja.
The issue being that Marcus Harris (17), Cameron Bancroft (0) and Sam Konstas (0) were out cheaply against India A in Mackay.
Australia A skipper Nathan McSweeney battled hard for 39 from 131 balls, but isn’t the specialist opener many past greats have been calling for.
This is where Labuschagne comes in.
He’s an opener who has been hiding in plan sight.
The most successful period of the 30-year-old’s career was when he might as well have been opening with David Warner despite being listed at No.3.
In 17 of Labuschagne’s first 30 innings as a No. 3 batter, he was at the crease before the 10th over of Australia’s innings anyway.
The first Test half-century Labuschagne scored as a No. 3 was in the 2019 Ashes when he was facing Stuart Broad on the fifth ball of Australia’s first innings in Manchester.
In November that year he fronted up for the 22nd ball after Shaheen Shah Afridi had Joe Burns caught behind, peeling off 162 against Pakistan.
In those 30 innings, Labuschagne averaged 66.1.
He might be reluctant to shift one spot up the order, but Labuschagne becoming Australia’s next opener makes more sense than Steve Smith ever did.
That would allow the selectors to blood McSweeney, the pick of the batters in the first innings, at either No. 3 or No. 4, or to opt for an all-rounder to replace the injured Cameron Green such as Beau Webster or Aaron Hardie.
Labuschagne said last month he was prepared to open if “that’s best for the team”.
It might not have been the most convincing statement, but showed the Queenslander is at least open to the idea.
George Bailey and his selection panel haven’t got much wrong since the former Aussie batter stepped into the hot seat.
Now it’s time they made one of their boldest – but smartest – calls and told Labuschagne he’s opening, at least in the interim.
Fronting up to the new ball is nothing new for the Aussie No. 3 and his record when arriving in the opening overs suggests he’s more than up to the challenge.
Maybe it says more about the lack of an obvious answer to Australia’s top-order problem that left-field options are even being considered.
Labuschagne must have known this scenario was a possibility when he took on opening duties while playing in England’s County Championship for Glamorgan earlier this year.
He produced scores of 23 and 111 against Middlesex before sliding back to his preferred No. 3 spot.
Of course, the second division in England is a world away from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj tearing in at Optus Stadium though.
Konstas, Bancroft, McSweeney and Harris will have another opportunity to press their claims with Australia A before the squad for the first Test is named.
But the reality for Australia is, the answer to its greatest problem might already be inside its dressing room.
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Originally published as Analysis: The numbers which show why Marnus Labuschagne should be Australia’s next Test opener
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