Australia v India 4th Test at the SCG: Marnus Labuschagne determined to make impact with bat and ball

Recalled Test all-rounder Marnus Labuschagne insists his confidence hasn’t been dented after being dropped and he can help Australia salvage a drawn series against India at the SCG.

Marnus Labuschagne turned the arm over in the SCG nets on Tuesday.

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Recalled Test all-rounder Marnus Labuschagne insists his confidence hasn’t been dented after being dropped and he can help Australia salvage a drawn series against India.

Labuschagne is set to make his return to the Test arena at the SCG on Thursday when Australia faces India in the fourth and final match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The visitors hold a 2-1 lead heading into the last Test after beating Australia by 137 runs in the Boxing Day encounter at the MCG.

The loss has prompted national selectors to thrust Queensland’s Labuschagne into the squad, with his handy leg spin likely to catapult him into the final XI on a spinning SCG wicket.

Marnus Labuschagne deep in conversation with selector Greg Chappell.

Labuschagne, 24, made his Test debut in the October series against Pakistan in the UAE, but was dropped after two matches and not even included in the original squad to face India.

His axing was not overly surprising given Labuschagne’s top score in four innings was 43 and he only registered two fifties for the Bulls in the first five matches of the Sheffield Shield season.

The revolving door of Test selections has crushed many blossoming careers in the past, but Labuschagne insists he will pull on the baggy green again with confidence.

“I was in a good space (after being dropped),” he told News Corp Australia.

“It’s never great to be dropped but it’s part of professional sport. You need to be able to come back from that. It’s really about how you come back from those setbacks.

“I made sure I was really positive with my body language and how I was going playing for Queensland and really enjoying that..

LISTEN! Russell Gould from the Herald Sun and Ben Horne from The Daily Telegraph join Andrew Menczel to dissect Australia’s 137 run loss to India in the Boxing Day Test.

We also hear from Peter Handscomb after his matchwinning performance for the Melbourne Stars against the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash.

“I was trying to get wins on the board for Queensland with bat and ball and contribute where I could.”

The South Africa-born Labuschagne’s Test scores improved with every innings and he took seven wickets against Pakistan at 22.42.

He was dismissed for a duck in his first dig then notched 13, 25 and 43 against Pakistan, including an infamous run-out where he seemingly watched the ball hit his stumps at the non-striker’s end.

Labuschagne has regrets from his first taste of Test cricket and he is determined to make sure that doesn’t happen again, especially with a Gabba Test against Sri Lanka to follow later this month.

“You always wish you had some moments again – that’s sport,” he said.

“You wish you could have that ball back, that over back, that dismissal back.

Marnus Labuschagne had an up and down series against Pakistan.

“It’s about how you back up after those if you’ve had a couple of bad ones.

“I was building in the last Test I played. My batting was in a good space and I was contributing with the ball.

“I probably lacked a little bit of experience really in those big pressure situations.”

Labuschagne has worked tirelessly on his bowling over the past few years, particularly after his success against Pakistan.

He has become a sponge around Brisbane Heat coach Dan Vettori, New Zealand’s greatest ever spinner, and believes he can be regarded as a genuine all-rounder.

“It depends who you ask - if you ask me, yeah, I have (called myself an all-rounder),” Labuschagne said.

Tim Paine is set to rely on Marnus Labuschagne alot at the SCG.

“It’s definitely something I’ve added to my game the last few years. It’s been something I’ve been working on for this whole year.

“Coming back from the UAE I’ve worked hard on it. I’ve bowled a lot of overs in the nets.

“I’ve tried to make sure I’m hitting my areas, worked on some fields and where I’ll be most effective to get wickets.

“I’ve developed my bowling more. It’s an area I want to improve on, but at the end of the day my main skill is batting and I need to put runs on the board.”

Labuschagne has had some success bowling at the SCG, taking three wickets against NSW in a Shield game last season.

Originally published as Australia v India 4th Test at the SCG: Marnus Labuschagne determined to make impact with bat and ball