Marnus Labuschagne’s worries continue after second failure in Wellington as worrying form at No.3 continues

Teammate Josh Hazelwood has backed Marnus Labuschagne to bounce back with the bat despite the No.3 recording a worrying milestone for the first time since 2019.

Luckless Marnus Labuschagne has been backed to recover from his slump after another failure left his Test batting average below 50 for the first time since November 2019.

Labuschagne’s dismissal for two - caught behind down the leg side off New Zealand captain Tim Southee - continued a 14-month decline for the former World No. 1-ranked Test batter and helped leave the door ajar for New Zealand after what was an overall day of dominance for Australia at the Basin Reserve.

The calamitous slapstick run out of Kane Williamson via a Labuschagne direct hit was emblematic of the Black Caps’ woes as the Aussies closed in on retaining the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

Opting not to enforce the follow-on after taking a 204-run first innings lead and despite forecast rain on day five, Australia was 2-13 in its second innings at stumps on day two of the first Test, leading by 217 but having lost Labuschagne and Steve Smith to continue lingering top order issues.

A match that had been evenly poised on Thursday evening swung dramatically in the direction of the tourists on Friday as the Black Caps collapsed following Cameron Green and Josh Hazlewood’s record-breaking 10th wicket partnership for the Aussies.

Marnus Labuschagne walks off after being strangled down the leg side in Wellington on Friday. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images.

From 9-279 at the start of play, Green (174 not out) and Hazlewood (22) hauled the Aussies to 383, batting beyond the prescribed two hour first session.

With their spirit already hammered by the 116-run last stand, things went from bad to much, much worse for the Black Caps, who crumbled to 5-29 by the middle stages of the day.

While Australia bowled well on a pitch still offering assistance, it was a disastrous showing from New Zealand, typified by the second-ball run out of star batter Williamson.

The former captain set off for a dangerous single to mid-off after nudging a full delivery from Mitchell Starc, only to collide with non-striker Will Young and be run out by Labuschagne in what New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips described as a “little bit of a freak accident.”

However Hazlewood said Labuschagne deserved credit for effecting the dismissal.

“Marnus in particular has just been outstanding the last couple of years. I know he works super hard at training all the time,” Hazlewood said.

“I think it would have been out even if they didn’t collide, to be honest. But his direct hits have been outstanding. And run outs play a huge part in particular in Test cricket. So he’s been really good for us wherever he’s fielded.”

But while his fielding remains exceptional, Labuschagne’s batting has dropped well into the mortal stratosphere.

While conventional nicks have been his primary affliction in recent times, Friday’s dismissal was the type for which teams don’t generally plan.

“He seems OK. Those sort of strangles down leg side seem to happen when a player is down,” Hazlewood said.

Kane Williamson collides with Will Young before being run out during day two at Basin Reserve. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images.

“If it’s probably Marshy (Mitch Marsh) or someone else it’s sort of down there for four and away you go but that’s the game of cricket and no, I think he’ll he’ll bounce back for sure.”

Labuschagne’s fall followed that of Smith, who chopped onto a length ball from Southee without scoring.

Usman Khawaja and nightwatcher Nathan Lyon - who picked up 4-43 earlier in the day - survived until stumps, but only after Southee dropped Lyon at third slip off Matt Henry’s bowling from the final ball of the day.

Lyon received medical attention after copping a blow on the leg while batting but was cleared to continue.

A punchy 71 from Phillips and useful 42 down the order from Henry - who had earlier finished with five wickets in Australia’s first innings - led New Zealand to 179.

Phillips echoed Hazlewood’s sentiments by suggesting that Labuschagne would soon turn things around.

“He’s a top-class player. And the funny thing about batting is the waves go and they come and he rode a huge wave when he scored all those runs leading up to this point,” Phillips said.

“Unfortunately the way cricket works is everything just evens out. And he may be on a slight downward slump but he’s he’s an incredible batter and I have no doubt he’ll probably work it out. Thankfully for us not today and hopefully not the next game either.”

NICK, TOCK: CLOCK TICKING AS MARNUS CONTINUES WORRYING TREND

It was in this city that Shane Warne infamously snapped at a group of teenagers, one of whom had taken a photo of the leg-spinning great smoking a cigarette.

Known for his chimney-esque ways, Warne had previously committed to a much-publicised deal with Nicorette.

Well almost a quarter of a century later, Marnus Labuschagne is badly in need of some nick-o-rette of his own, because Australia’s first drop is edgier than a year 12 student waiting for results to come out.

This was billed as a big series for Labuschagne, whose Test decline across more than a year had been papered over at various stages by attention on David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Green.

That the Queenslander had also played an innings that arguably saved Australia the Ashes and been an unlikely World Cup hero had also kept the wolves at bay.

But with the West Indies’ shock Gabba win having exposed the overall struggles of the Aussie batting line-up, there was going to be no hiding in New Zealand, not least when Tim Southee won the toss and chose to unleash a four-pronged pace attack on a grassy deck at the Basin.

Smith and Usman Khawaja had done well to protect the rest of the top six, for most of the first session.

And yet that was not enough to pave the way for Labuschagne, who fell shortly after lunch after Scott Kuggeleijn drew the outside edge with a full, seaming delivery gobbled up by Daryl Mitchell at first slip.

Marnus Labuschagne walks off The Basin in Wellington after being dismissed against New Zealand. Picture: Marty Melville/AFP.

Once second only to Sir Donald Bradman on the list of Test averages with a mark hovering in the low 60s, Labuschagne could slip below 50 by the end of this match.

Regression to the mean is a factor. Data has shown Labuschagne was unusually lucky across his first four years in Test cricket; dropped much more than the average player.

And yet of late it is not only the how few, but the how that is causing alarm.

Of the last 20 occasions Labuschagne has been dismissed in Test cricket – dating back to the second innings of the World Test Championship final at The Oval last June – he has fallen 14 times either caught behind or in the slips.

It was Stuart Broad who helped start the rot with forecast away swing in the Ashes opener at Edgbaston, and the affliction has continued almost unabated.

None of this is any great secret to Labuschagne.

He told this masthead not even a week ago that he had been working diligently to remove the nicks from his game, and that he was even comfortable to go out another way if it meant curbing the problem.

“I think there’s been probably a year of me getting out nicking off,” Labuschagne said.

“It’s definitely one of the dismissals that I’m trying to negate out of my game. Happy to get lbw but you want to minimise the way teams can get you out.”

At the moment teams are only needing one way. And as Travis Head’s binary run has shown, there is only so much covering up Australia’s middle order can conjure if the No. 3 keeps struggling.

With Labuschagne it is never through lack of trying. His work ethic within the Australian camp is second to none – as evidenced by his tireless commitment to fielding and impressively lean physique – and he was again one of the last to leave the nets on Test eve. But rising 30, Labuschagne should be at or near his peak. He will be desperate to ensure the valley doesn’t get deeper.

Originally published as Marnus Labuschagne’s worries continue after second failure in Wellington as worrying form at No.3 continues