Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne has returned to the national squad after a solid stint playing domestic cricket in South Africa and Australia. His most likely opening partner will be Usman Khawaja when Australia face England in the first Test at Perth from December 14. Labuschagne went through a torrid patch since his last Test century against England earlier this year. His impact on the performance has dipped, but this pick is a pivot point to the positive for him.
Labuschagne’s last hundred was a cause for celebration, but not just because it was his first. His pitiful form tracks his drastic drop since that game. Consequently, he missed out on Australia’s triumphant 3-0 series win against the West Indies. During a recent Sheffield Shield match, Labuschagne struggled significantly, scoring only five runs, which raised concerns about his readiness for the upcoming Test.
Usman Khawaja, the other half of an untested pair, has drastically upped his game. He recently played the ball of the season, a remarkable innings of 87 runs for Queensland against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield. In that game, Khawaja showed just what kind of special player he is. He struck three fours in one over from bowler Ryan Hadley, and later in his innings exhibited a clean strike down the ground as he cut loose.
Khawaja has been terrific lately. In the other main winter season last year, he found it extremely difficult, averaging just 15.37 across four Tests. His comeback this year should provide the Australian batting order a much-needed boost. In fact, they are about to beat up on England.
Beyond Labuschagne and Khawaja, players including Sam Heazlett, Matt Renshaw, Riley Meredith, and more are turning heads both at home and on the national stage. Campbell Kellaway, a rising star in Australian cricket, crafted a superb third first-class century during Victoria’s clash with Tasmania, solidifying his reputation as one of the country’s brightest young talents. Since then, opener Marcus Harris has steadied the crease with an unbeaten 101. He is the first Aboriginal player to have scored over 8000 runs in Sheffield Shield cricket. He came into this innings having had a tough time of it this season.
The young Matt Renshaw—the other player vying for an Ashes spot—lost his chance to elevate himself to the national side with a magnificent innings. He was dismissed for 29 runs. Renshaw’s evident struggles produced a fair amount of debate about whether there is still a path for him to return to the Test side.
Riley Meredith made an impression in Tasmania’s bowling attack with multiple wickets, showcasing the depth of talent available to selectors.
By choosing Labuschagne in the starting XI, selectors played a master stroke. They decided upon a Queensland foursome to shore up the middle order batting. According to cricket journalist Theo Doropoulos, Labuschagne will indeed be confirmed for his position unless there were late changes.
“Marnus forcing change after a dominant start to the domestic summer. The Aussie selectors leaning towards a Queensland 1-2 punch at the top of the order,” – Theo Doropoulos
