The numbers that lay bare Labuschagne’s form slump

Marnus Labuschagne will walk out to bat on Friday attempting to rectify a lingering slump which has been red-flagged by a double failure in the final Test of the summer late last month.

While his Australian teammates prepare to fly to New Zealand on Saturday for three Twenty20 internationals ahead of a two-Test series, Labuschagne will be captaining Queensland for the first time in the Sheffield Shield against South Australia in Adelaide searching for some red ball runs.

His last outing against a red ball brought scores of 3 and 5, and dismissals that surprised his colleagues. Playing on his home ground at the Gabba against an unrated West Indian team in the final Test of the summer, Labuschagne edged into the slips twice against balls he would usually have left alone.

They were uncertain shots usually associated with batsmen raised on slow, low pitches who are brought undone by the pace and bounce in Brisbane. For someone playing on his home patch, this was a problem as much mental as technical.

Mark Waugh believes Labuschagne will need to find some runs during the Test series in New Zealand if Australia are to prosper against a quality side in what may be helpful bowling conditions.

“It’s a matter of finding a bit more form than what he’s shown this summer,” Waugh told this masthead.

the numbers that lay bare labuschagne’s form slump

Marnus Labuschagne failed twice in the final Test at the Gabba.

Rarely have numbers highlighted a batsman’s fade-out than more graphically than those from the two-Test series Australia hosted against the West Indies 12 months apart. In the 2023 series, Labuschagne scored 502 runs at an average of 167 with three centuries and a top score of 204. Last month, he made just 19 runs at an average of 6 with a top score of 10.

During that time, Labuschagne has played 14 Tests for 799 runs at an average of 33 with one hundred. His overall average in 48 Tests has fallen from above 61 to below 51.

Following Australia’s eight-run loss to the West Indies in Brisbane, coach Andrew McDonald conceded Labuschagne had problems he was working on.

“He’s been undone by certain plans at times, so there’s no doubt that we will get into that,” McDonald said.

Waugh believes Labuschagne is not the only culprit during a year which has seen Australia win just one of their last four Test series after losing in India, drawing the Ashes in England, beating Pakistan and drawing against the West Indies. Australia won seven of 14 Tests, losing five and drawing two.

“We haven’t batted very well this summer,” said Waugh. “The batting has been a bit scratchy. I think the batting order is OK. Steve Smith played beautifully in the second innings in Brisbane [for 91 not out] so I think he’s fine opening the batting.

“There are a few players who are a bit out of form, which happens in a batting order. You don’t always have six players in form. You always tend to carry a couple of batsmen at different times during a season. Travis [Head] has obviously struggled, Marnus has struggled, and a few other guys have been in and out of form.

“New Zealand are a very good side. I think it’s going to be the toughest test of the summer, but I think the batting order is pretty right, the top six who have been playing.”

Waugh supports Cameron Green slotting in at No.4 now that Steve Smith has moved to the top of the order following David Warner’s retirement, but is concerned that the young allrounder is a nervous starter.

“I think with time he’ll start to relax a bit more,” Waugh said. “He’s a bit mechanical in the way he’s batting, a bit robotic. He needs to work the ball into the gaps a little bit better. He plays very much straight play down the ground.

“If he can get the feel of working the ball off his hip or working softly through the offside, that’ll help him rotate the strike because he does get bogged down a little bit at the moment. I think the more relaxed he gets batting in the top order for Australia, he’ll sort of things out.”

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