Labuschagne’s Test spot up for debate ahead of Green return
Galle: Marnus Labuschagne may be batting for his future in the second Test against Sri Lanka, with the looming return of Cameron Green set to cause an almighty squeeze in the Australian top six ahead of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June.
Australia’s selectors were due to discuss their options for the second Test on Tuesday evening, for a much drier Galle pitch than had been prepared for the first game of the series that the tourists won by an enormous innings margin.
Marnus Labuschagne at training on Tuesday.Credit: Getty Images
While there are no suggestions that Labuschagne’s spot is in immediate danger this week, Green’s eligibility to play as a batter later this year, after back surgery, adds to a selection crunch that already features teenager Sam Konstas and debutant centurion Josh Inglis.
On Tuesday, Travis Head said he expected to return to the middle order for the World Test Championship final, and Konstas to regain his opening berth alongside Usman Khawaja for the showdown with South Africa.
Labuschagne made some key contributions to Australia’s victory at home over India, something acknowledged within the team. But his approach has been discussed by selectors at various points over the past couple of years. Mainly this has been to do with a tendency to become too focused on survival rather than scoring.
That was evident in the first Test, where he was the only batter to score at less than 50 runs per 100 balls as Australia sprinted to a huge total that set up the game. Labuschagne is also without a Test hundred since Old Trafford 18 months ago.
Usually one of the first padded up and in the nets, No.3 Labuschagne batted against back-up quicks Sean Abbott and Scott Boland on the centre wicket to begin Tuesday’s main training session, despite the expectations of a turning pitch.
After the rest of the Australian batting order had left Galle International Cricket Stadium, Labuschagne stayed later in the nets next to reserve batter Nathan McSweeney.
He was facing local spinners and Australian bowling coach Dan Vettori rather than Australia’s front-line tweakers.
He finished his Tuesday training session being closely watched by selector Tony Dodemaide.
Head’s role in Sri Lanka, the inclusion of Inglis and the omission of Konstas hav been the source of much debate at home, but the vice-captain and newly crowned Allan Border medallist said that he could see the 19-year-old walking out to bat against the Proteas at Lord’s in June.
Konstas, winner of the Bradman young cricketer of the year, was quarantined from the team with illness for most of the first Test, but returned to training with a long centre wicket net session on Tuesday.
“Most likely I’ll go back into the middle order and Sam would open, but I’m glad I’m not a selector,” Head said as the Australians resumed training ahead of Thursday’s second Test. “Josh has had an amazing start, guys are playing well, Greeny’s [Cameron Green] going to be fit.
“So it’s going to be hard to fit in and I think that’s what we want. We want an Australian cricket team that’s tough to get in, where everyone’s pushing for spots. That’s where the pressure comes, trying to hold your spot every Test knowing there’s people behind you.
Sam Konstas speaks with batting coach Michael Di Venuto during an Australia nets session at Galle.Credit: Getty Images
“So we’re in a strong position. It’s better having seven or eight batters talked about than three or four.”
Head reiterated that he was unlikely to ever open the batting in Test matches where conditions favour pace. Captain Pat Cummins and head coach Andrew McDonald believe his best role is to counter-attack from No.5, as he did brilliantly against India and Jasprit Bumrah over the home summer.
“That’s probably unlikely with where we’ve gone,” he said. “I’ve had conversations with Ron, Pat, they know where I stand that I’ll do anything they require. But I’m in the position they want me to be in.
“As long as I keep being consistent in that position and trying to do as well as I can, that’s great, but it’s probably unlikely that I would [open] in Australia with where we’ve been in the last two years. It feels like the middle order is the spot in Australia for me.”
While the pitch in Galle did not start to spin and dust up until day three, as pointed out by Sri Lanka’s coach Sanath Jayasuriya after the first Test, the baking treatment being given to the second Test pitch suggests it will be far drier this time.
In 2022, the pitch for the first Test here was extremely dry on a spinners’ length from ball one. Infamously, Nathan Lyon’s first ball popped off the surface and struck wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the helmet. Head emphasised that this one looked a little less spin friendly, but still had two more days of sunshine, with much finer weather in Galle this week.
“You could play on it right now and you’d be happy,” Head said. “You’ve got to take it for face value, look at it again tomorrow and then the next morning. We’ve still got two days so I guess anything could play out in these conditions. The sun’s out now, so it’s baking at the moment.
“What we’ve seen in the first Test was probably that day three moment where it shifted to heavy spin and we were able to capture the moments. It’s whether we can weigh up when that shift comes and be able to be ready and adapt to that. It looks like it’ll take spin early.”
Sri Lanka will reportedly lose one of their most seasoned players after this match, with former captain Dimuth Karunaratne set to retire. The second Test will be Karunaratne’s 100th for Sri Lanka, but a pair of brief innings in the first game suggested that the 36-year-old’s powers are on the wane.
with AAP
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