Marnus Labuschagne to add steel to Australia’s middle order in ODI series in India
Marnus Labuschagne will make his ODI debut in India next week asked to transfer his sensational Test summer form to white ball cricket. But don’t expect to see him come in at first drop.
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Marnus Labuschagne’s unbreakable grip on No. 3 in Australia’s Test team will not transfer to one-day cricket with Steve Smith set to rise up and fill the place vacated by axed batsman Usman Khawaja.
Labuschagne – the hero of the summer who is poised to make his white-ball debut for Australia in India next week – will instead battle it out for a position in an overhauled middle order.
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Smith, 30, spent the bulk of last year’s World Cup batting at No.4. However, with Khawaja (hamstring) and Shaun Marsh (arm) injured, he made a patient 85 at No. 3 in the semi-final loss to England.
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The Aussies will stick with Smith and choose a combination of Labuschagne, Pete Handscomb, Ashton Turner and D’Arcy Short to fill the next few spots, with keeper Alex Carey also certain to feature.
Test star Josh Hazlewood is in line to replace opening bowler Jason Behrendorff (back) from the World Cup team while Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa are the key spin options.
World Cup allrounders Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis were left at home and will continue to play Big Bash for Melbourne Stars.
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Caretaker coach Andrew McDonald said the Aussies had picked a full-strength squad for the series that begins in Mumbai on Tuesday, although noted that selection also included an eye to the future.
Labuschagne, 25, Turner, 26, and Handscomb, 28, are prime examples of batsmen Australia feels will be key players at the 2023 World Cup in India, while there is also a strong focus on T20 skills given there are two T20 World Cups in the next two years.
“You look at someone like Marnus coming in for the first time, the ability of him to get to the 2023 World Cup is real, isn’t it?” McDonald told the Herald Sun.
“The 2023 World Cup is in India as well, so someone like Pete Handscomb – a really good player of spin – he’s back in the side and he’s had great success in India before.
“Ashton Turner as well. Those guys have been in and performed before and are they of the age demographic where they’re going to make the 2023 World Cup? Well, the answer to that is probably yes.
“There’s going to be some big (selection) decisions for that first game.”
Short replaced Sean Abbott (side strain) in the 14-man squad last month.
“There’s no doubt the selectors feel (Short’s) someone that can take Australian cricket forward in the shorter formats,” McDonald said.
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“Obviously with that top three (David Warner, Aaron Finch and Smith) being so strong he may have to fit into the middle order.
“He’s a powerful hitter, but also he gives us an option if we were to structure up with four bowlers and looking for our part-time spinners to get through 10 overs, himself and Marnus would pick that up.
“Marnus’s bowling is going to be equally important.”
McDonald studied vision of Virat Kohli’ 16-man squad throughout the Test summer.
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Originally published as Marnus Labuschagne to add steel to Australia’s middle order in ODI series in India