Why Langer’s Labuschagne gamble may pay dividends down the track

Marnus Labuschagne isn’t the answer to Australia’s top order batting woes, we already knew that. But despite his SCG failure, Justin Langer’s selection gamble might still pay dividends down the track.

Marnus Labuschagne slashes one to the rope. Picture: Getty

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Marnus Labuschagne isn’t the answer to Australia’s top order batting woes, but everybody already knew that.

The problems with the batting line-up won’t be solved until Steve Smith and David Warner return from their suspensions because no-one has stood up during their absence and made a strong enough case for change, Labuschagne included.

The Queensland all-rounder was on a hiding to nothing when he got picked to bat at No.3 against the best team in the world but Justin Langer’s selection gamble might still pay a dividend down the track.

Marnus Labuschagne slashes one to the rope. Picture: Getty

Although there was a sense of inevitability that he wouldn’t make a huge score, there was still plenty to like about Labuschagne’s innings to suggest he’s worth another roll of the dice, but further down the order where the cards aren’t so heavily stacked against him.

His 38 was a respectable score under the circumstances and while he didn’t make quick runs, he did at least show that he’s a quick learner.

With no chance of winning the match, Australia’s batsmen are now playing for themselves, no matter how hard they preach about the team always coming first.

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The ultimate nightwatchman, Labuschagne’s sudden elevation to first drop bears all the hallmarks of a gap filler before Smith and Warner return but he didn’t waste the opportunity altogether.

After spending the first day and half in the field watching Cheteshwar Pujara grind Australia’s bowlers into the dirt, Labuschagne adopted the same stubborn approach by batting cautiously and patiently, and putting a high value on his wicket.

That old-fashioned grit is just what Australia needs right now and Labuschagne showed he has plenty of it after the Indian bowlers pegged as the weak link and went after him from the get-go.

It took a sharp catch to remove Marnus Labuschagne. Picture: Getty

He was lucky to survive the first ball he faced after he got a peach of a yorker from Jasprit Bumrah. Timed at 146km/h, it was spearing in at off stump when Labuschagne jammed his bat down in the nick of time to keep it out.

It took him 10 balls to get off the mark but he wasn’t in any hurry so took his time and waited for the right ball before swinging for the fences, another lesson he picked up from studying Pujara’s marathon knock.

His first boundary was a perfectly struck cover drive off Kuldeep Yadav, his next was a sweep off the same Indian left-arm wrist spinner.

He drove India’s left-arm finger spinner Ravindra Jadeja to the rope then plundered three boundaries off Mohammed Shami as he started to grow in confidence.

His resistance finally gave out after 95 deliveries and two hours at the crease when he flicked Shami straight to Ajinkya Rahane at short mid-wicket, but not before he had given a glimpse of what he could be in the future if given enough time to develop in the Test arena by batting lower.