Australian selectors’ rare move ahead of brutal Marnus Labuschagne v Sam Konstas call

As Marnus Labuschagne and Sam Konstas faced a trial by fire in Australia’s first training session for the World Test Championship final, selectors took rare measures as they brace to make a huge call.

Australia has assembled its entire selection panel in London as it braces to make one of the biggest calls in recent memory – Marnus Labuschagne or Sam Konstas.

Labuschagne has been singled out by former South African pacer Vernon Philander as one of the “vulnerable” members of an Australian top order he says has a “defect” against the moving ball, ahead of Wednesday’s World Test Championship Final against the Proteas at Lord’s.

Under-pressure Test veteran Labuschagne and two-game youngster Konstas both faced a searching examination from the Australian quicks at the squad’s first formal training session as they duke it out to be picked as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner.

Konstas looked noticeably compact and organised facing Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland in a centre-wicket practice session at Kent’s training headquarters in south London, with the benefits of the technical changes he has made over the past two months’ laid bare.

Labuschagne didn’t seem quite as comfortable in his time facing the quicks but it’s impossible to draw conclusions from one training session, and the 30-year-old does have the benefit of 11 career Test centuries and two half centuries from his three Test innings at Lord’s working in his favour.

Usually Australia would only ever have two members of its selection panel on hand for any given Test, but National Selector George Bailey and offsider Tony Dodemaide are both with the camp in London this week along with coach Andrew McDonald.

The trio will no doubt be watching every move Labuschagne and Konstas make ahead of an agonising call over who to prefer; a man who averages 46 but has struggled for form over recent years, or the 19-year-old wunderkind regarded as the star of the future.

Marnus Labuschagne is a man under pressure. Picture: Philip Brown/Getty Images

Philander put the blowtorch on Labuschagne, Steve Smith and the Australian batsmen.

“ … Australia have a bit of a defect against the moving ball,” Philander told SportsBoom.

“Technically and mentally, South Africa’s batsmen perhaps have the upper hand with the general overhead conditions in England and the Duke ball being completely different to the Kookaburra.

“So, the Proteas bowlers will certainly want to exploit that. Marnus Labuschagne has been short of runs, as has Steve Smith to an extent in the previous couple of seasons. So there’s a window of opportunity there, their shortfalls will be in the back of the mind.

“Tactically, the ball nips around at Lord’s and Australia’s top order could be vulnerable especially since our bowlers have the ability to get the ball a touch fuller.”

Vernon Philander has questioned the form of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. Picture: Philip Brown/Getty Images

While Labuschagne and Konstas is the big conundrum, there are also decisions to be made on Josh Hazlewood versus Scott Boland for the third fast bowling spot, as well as a conditions-based call on whether to pick all-rounder Beau Webster.

Hazlewood and Josh Inglis were both absent from Wednesday’s first session after playing in the IPL final and were due to arrive in London Wednesday night.

Brendan Doggett is not officially in the 15-man squad for the WTC Final but also trained, while all-rounder Cameron Green rolled his arm over for the first time since returning from back surgery, although he will play as a batsman only in the WTC Final, if as expected, he is selected.

Travis Head was the only other squad member who didn’t train on Wednesday, although it was an optional session and there are no concerns over the superstar batsman.

Hazlewood is likely to get the nod over Boland, but Philander again said South Africa shouldn’t fear Australia’s decorated fast bowling trio at a venue like Lord’s.

“The likes of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood bowl more back-of-a-length, with the ball going over the top of the stumps; we want to bring the stumps into play more,” he said to SportsBoom.

Josh Hazlewood missed the first training session as he was playing the IPL final. Picture: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images

It was an exhaustive first session for Australia on English soil. Konstas initially partnered Khawaja in a net facing spinner Nathan Lyon, while Labuschagne and Steve Smith worked in tandem facing throw downs from batting coach, Michael Di Venuto.

Labuschagne then partnered with Khawaja to face the fast bowlers and all-rounder Beau Webster, before Konstas and Smith interchanged with each other facing the quicks.

Starc bowled rapid pace and looked in commanding form, while Boland was also getting them through particularly sharply.

The fast centre-wicket will hold Australia’s batsmen in good stead for the challenge that awaits against South Africa’s highly-rated bowling duo Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen.

Green was only coming off a few paces but it was encouraging to see the big all-rounder bowling again just six months after back surgery.

It’s expected Green will continue to build up his loads on the upcoming tour of the West Indies but not bowl in a Test until the Ashes in the home summer.