‘Hundreds are not good enough’: Marnus laments costly century

Go big or get beaten is the difficult lesson Marnus Labuschagne is taking to India as he and Steve Smith begin focusing their batting bromance on next month’s tour of cricket’s great frontier.

Labuschagne believes a century he made in Sri Lanka last year was responsible for the only Test loss Australia have suffered under Pat Cummins’ captaincy.

Marnus Labuschagne batting during the last Test in Sydney.Credit: AP

The hyperactive Queenslander was out shortly after reaching three figures during the second Test at Galle in July, then Australia collapsed, leaving Smith stranded on 145 not out. The team were bowled out cheaply second time around and lost by an innings on a turning wicket.

“We know we need to cash in and that’s where I reckon I missed the trick in Sri Lanka, in that first innings,” Labuschagne said as he and Smith spoke with the Herald and The Age ahead the premiere of the Australian Amazon Original series The Test Season Two on Monday in Sydney.

“I got 104 and then got out, which ended up costing us the game because obviously Smudge [Smith] was stranded at the other end on 140 odd.

“That’s a great example of probably a young batter in those conditions where I’ve got a hundred and then obviously got out to one that spun, but it’s just the approach, that consistency that we’ve got to understand. If it’s a good wicket, hundreds are not good enough.”

Steve Smith celebrates a century during the last Test in Sydney.Credit: Getty Images

Labuschagne has never toured India but the two-Test series in Sri Lanka gave him a taste of what’s to come.

Smith and Labuschagne are part of the foundation Australia needs to hold firm if they are to savour their first series victory in India since 2004 and second since 1969.

The former Australian captain continues to reinforce the mantra of “cashing in”, using a Test from their last India tour in 2017 as an example.

“In Ranchi, we got 450 and realised at the time that was 200 short. They got 650, and we played out the draw so if you’re batting on a good wicket first you’ve got to go big, big.”

Labuschagne claimed their conversations about playing spin are ongoing, not just because a tour of India is next on the agenda.

“We have two very different methods of going about facing spin bowling, but there’s obviously a lot I can learn from Smudge,” said Labuschagne.

“Obviously he’s a very, very good defender in spinning conditions, and there’s not many people who are good at defending the spinning ball.

“That’s the sort of things that I can learn. I can add a bit more to my game with sweeping and obviously using your feet and just understanding the conditions.”

Smith and Labuschagne began their bromance during the 2019 Ashes tour when Smith was felled by a Jofra Archer bouncer and Labuschagne became Test cricket’s first concussion sub, replacing Smith in the second Test at Lord’s and going on to make a courageous half-century.

Usman Khawaja celebrates his third successive Test hundred at the SCG during the Sydney TestCredit: Getty Images

Labuschagne went from a reserve who packed away Smith’s gear after each day’s play so they could talk batting together, to a batting partner.

Despite their close cricket relationship, Labuschagne insisted Smith wasn’t his favourite batting partner.

“No, and he’ll understand why,” Labuschagne said on the documentary. “It’s like batting with a chalkboard. He’s just in his own zone. You get nothin’.”

In the Amazon Prime documentary, Usman Khawaja claims Labuschagne has brought Smith out of himself.

‘If you’re batting on a good wicket first you’ve got to go big, big.’

Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne

“I knew Smudger before him and Marnus became besties. He’s a very different person,” Khawaja said. “I said to Smudge ‘I love playing with you so much more now’, and I feel like it’s because of Marnus. I reckon Marnus has really just relaxed him.”

Smith isn’t so sure their bromance has made that much difference.

“I’ve been pretty chilled for a while,” he said. “We’re probably on pretty similar wavelengths in terms of the game and how much we like talking about the game.

“We’re non-stop to the point where last night [Sunday after the last Test in Sydney] the South Africans came into our room and we both had a bat in our hands, just talking batting with them.

“Dave [Warner] was walking past saying ‘game’s finished, put your bats away’.”

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.