Australia head coach Andre McDonald has backed struggling Marnus Labuschagne to come good after failing miserably in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth. Labuschagne managed just five runs across two innings, getting out Leg-Before Wicket (LBW) both the times.
“When we’ve seen him at his best, he’s shown great intent at the crease. That’s an ongoing discussion and that ebbs and flows in players’ careers. At the moment he’s in one of those patches and no doubt he’ll be getting critiqued externally,” McDonald said as quoted by local media outlet Sydney Morning Herald.
“Internally we’re really confident that, at his best, he’s the player that we need. We’re really confident he can turn that around,” he added.
The numbers, however, suggest otherwise that Labuschagne will be out of dump anytime soon. In the 12 innings of six Tests he has played in 2024, the batter has managed just 245 runs with 212 runs coming in three innings with scores of 60, 62 not out and 90.
He last scored a hundred in July 2023 against England in away Ashes in Manchester and has crossed fifty only four times in 18 times have batted since then.
His first innings stay in Perth was excruciating where he took 51 balls to score just two runs before getting out on the 52nd one.
In the second innings, Australia skipper Pat Cummins came to bat ahead of him to protect the batter against a venom spewing Indian pace attack during dying moments of day 3 of the Test.
Cummins, however, was sent back quickly and Labuschagne eventually had to come to bat and was like a deer in front of headlights. His stay lasted just six balls before being trapped LBW second time inside three days.
Australia would surely be hoping for him to bounce back but it looks unlikely as the series moves to Adelaide for the second Test which starts December 6.