Australia have pulled the trigger. In a move that was on expected lines but still feels interesting, Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped for the first Test against West Indies in Barbados, starting next Wednesday. His axing follows a prolonged slump in red-ball cricket, with selectors opting for rising star Sam Konstas and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis to bolster the line-up. Labuschagne flopped at the World Test Championship (WTC) final as well.
Labuschagne out, Konstas in: Australia reshuffle top order
Labuschagne’s omission comes after scores of 17 and 22 in the WTC final loss to South Africa, where he was promoted to open but failed to convert. His dip in form has stretched well beyond that.
The 30-year-old has not scored a Test century since the 2023 Ashes and has averaged just 24.9 across his last 14 innings. Despite boasting an overall Test average of 46.19 with 11 centuries and 23 fifties, selectors felt it was time for a change.
“Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team,” said selection chair George Bailey. “But we’ve spoken to him, and we all know the standards he holds himself to.”
“He understands his output hasn’t been at the level we, or he, expects. We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively.”
In place of Labuschagne, Sam Konstas will return to the side for what will be just his third Test. The 19-year-old made an instant impression on debut last summer, most notably with a dazzling 60 off 65 balls against India on Boxing Day. Konstas is expected to open the batting in Barbados alongside Usman Khawaja.
With Steve Smith ruled out due to a dislocated finger, Josh Inglis has also been handed a chance. The Western Australian impressed with a ton on debut in Sri Lanka and could slot into the No. 4 slot. This means Cameron Green could continue batting at one down despite failing against Kagiso Rabada at Lord’s.
Marnus Labuschagne’s recent form
- Last Test century: Manchester, 2023 Ashes
- Last 4 Test innings: 17, 22, 9, 14
- Test average since 2023: Under 30
- Overall Test record: 104 innings, 11 100s, 46.19 avg
| Player | Innings | Runs | Av | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Root | 34 | 1686 | 54.38 | 6 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 35 | 1627 | 49.30 | 3 |
| Ben Duckett | 35 | 1372 | 40.35 | 3 |
| Ollie Pope | 31 | 1165 | 37.58 | 4 |
| Steve Smith | 29 | 1155 | 44.42 | 4 |
| Usman Khawaja | 31 | 1051 | 37.53 | 1 |
| Zak Crawley | 28 | 914 | 32.64 | 1 |
| Travis Head | 28 | 882 | 32.66 | 3 |
| Alex Carey | 25 | 858 | 39.00 | 1 |
| Rohit Sharma | 30 | 761 | 26.24 | 2 |
| M Labuschagne | 30 | 668 | 24.74 | 0 |
| Mitchell Starc | 25 | 303 | 14.42 | 0 |
| Shoaib Bashir | 23 | 76 | 6.90 | 0 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 22 | 51 | 4.63 | 0 |
