Labuschagne faces vital week as Australia resist panic changes

Pat Cummins has backed Marnus Labuschagne to bounce back from his opening-Test horrors, indicating that Australia are unlikely to make any changes for Adelaide despite an overwhelming 295-run defeat against India in Perth.

Labuschagne has come under intense scrutiny following the defeat given his recent form in Test cricket. He has averaged just 13.66 across his last 10 Test innings, which does include a nine-month gap where he played county cricket, Sheffield Shield cricket and ODI cricket. His scores across those innings read: 10, 1*, 3, 5, 1, 2, 90, 6, 2, and 3.

His two innings in Perth were particularly harrowing. In the first he was dropped second ball when he nicked Jasprit Bumrah to second slip. Having had issues edging deliveries in his most recent Test outings, as well as the recent ODI series against Pakistan, he then completely shut up shop and faced 51 balls for just two runs before being pinned lbw by Mohammed Siraj on his 52nd.

In the second innings, it was Bumrah who trapped him, as he tried to shoulder arms to an inswinger that was smashing off stump late in the day.

While India will play a two-day pink-ball game in Canberra against the Prime Minister’s XI next weekend, Australia’s players will fly home and train on their own for the remainder of this week. They will not play any club cricket in their home states, as is the norm, but they have decided to head to Adelaide a day earlier than originally planned.

“Marn along with quite a few guys in the team didn’t have the week we would have wanted,” Cummins said after the loss inside four days. “It’s no secret how hard the batters, particularly Marn works in the nets. He’s always trying to find those small marginal gains. This week will be a lot of conversation with the coaches around his approach and what he could be doing differently.

“We know he’s a class player, him at his best is one of the scariest propositions for opposition bowlers to bowl at. We’ll get to Adelaide a little bit earlier and maybe do an extra day or two prep leading into that second Test. He’s done it before over there, he’s got a very good pink-ball record, so I always think looking back at past successes when you were at your best is always a pretty good way to get yourself back on track.

“This is a sample size of one. Four or five days ago we thought this was our best XI. So I dare say there won’t be many changes going into Adelaide, but I’m not a selector. I’m sure they’ll get together after the game. We’ve got a bit of work to do over the next 10 days.”

It could lead to a remarkable scenario in Adelaide, where the victors in Perth make more changes than the side that was thumped. India will welcome back skipper Rohit Sharma from paternity leave while Shubman Gill will also be pushing to be fit. Australia could back in the same XI despite the margin of the defeat.

You sit in the changeroom after a loss like that, and it hurts When a team declares on you, it’s never an amazing feeling. We’ve all been in these situations before

Pat Cummins

Labuschagne isn’t the only concern among the batting unit. Steven Smith returned scores of 0 and 17 in Perth, albeit he looked in better shape in the second innings before nicking an excellent delivery from Siraj. But like Labuschagne his recent returns have been poor. He averages just 23.50 over his last 10 Test innings which includes a 91 not out when he was opening. He has only passed 17 in two of those innings.

Nathan McSweeney was dismissed for 10 and 0 on debut, trapped lbw twice by Bumrah in what was a daunting baptism. He was unfortunate to receive a ball that kept a little low in the second innings while batting in the fading light after fielding for 134 overs. But his first-class record batting at Nos.1-3 has dropped to 26.94 after just his third and fourth innings opening the batting. The similarity in both his set-up and mechanics to Labuschagne, and the way Bumrah exploited them, would no doubt be a cause for concern for Australia’s selectors.

Usman Khawaja‘s diminishing returns have also slipped under the radar, registering scores of 33, 28, 16, 11, 8 and 4 in his last three Tests as he nears his 38th birthday. But he has been Australia’s most consistent player in the last three years.

Travis Head‘s fluent 89 in the fourth innings in Perth, combined with some positive signs from Mitchell Marsh in making 47, further highlighted the importance of the top four giving them a platform.

But while Marsh looked in good touch with the bat, his physical conditioning is a major concern with the ball. He has pulled up sore after bowling just 17 overs, the most he has bowled in any game of cricket over the last three years. He sent down an excellent spell on day one but his overs on day two and three were laboured and put pressure back on Australia’s fast bowlers to carry the load. He is set to be monitored over the next 10 days.

“He’s battling a couple of little niggles since the UK tour,” Cummins said. “The main thing is he’s in there as one of the top six batters in the country and bowling is a bonus. He was a little bit sore towards the end of this Test match. Again, in the next 10 days, a chance to freshen up and try and get it right. We’ll see how he goes. Ideally, he would be able to bowl in each Test match.”

Cummins was typically pragmatic after just the second home loss of his captaincy career, albeit coming in consecutive matches after the narrow eight-run defeat by West Indies in Brisbane. But he was aware that there would be a lot of introspection leading into Adelaide to try and find a way back into the series.

“You sit in the changeroom after a loss like that, and it hurts,” Cummins said. “When a team declares on you, it’s never an amazing feeling. We’ve all been in these situations before. It’s the nature of professional sport, you’re going to lose some games.

“The most important thing is how do you bounce back? What’s your next move? That’s what we’ve got to do this week. Clearly we were well off the mark. There’s a lot to work on. The most important thing is there’s four Test matches to come.”