WI vs AUS 1st Test: Marnus Labuschagne dropped, Steve Smith out with injury

Australia have dropped Marnus Labuschagne for the opening Test against the West Indies in Barbados, starting on 25 June, while Steve Smith has been ruled out with a finger injury sustained during the World Test Championship Final at Lord's. In a significant shake-up to the batting line-up, Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis have been drafted in to replace the underperforming Labuschagne and the injured Smith.advertisementLabuschagne, who opened the batting in the recent World Test Championship final, managed scores of 17 and 22 in a losing cause against South Africa. His prolonged dip in form-averaging just 16.25 in four Tests this year—has led to his omission from the side."Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team. He understands his output hasn't been at the level we, or he, expects," Selection chair George Bailey said in a statement. "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."
Smith, meanwhile, suffered a dislocated finger while fielding at Lord's. Although the former captain has travelled with the squad to the Caribbean, he has been advised to wear a splint for up to eight weeks and will be reassessed ahead of the second Test in Grenada.advertisement"Steve needs more time for the wound to heal so we'll give him another week's rest and assess his functionality after that," Bailey said. "We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus. We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers."Konstas impressed on debut against India in the Boxing Day Test last year and is expected to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order. Inglis, who scored a debut century in Sri Lanka earlier this year, is likely to slot into the middle order in Smith's absence. However, Cricket Australia has said the final batting order will be confirmed closer to the match.The first Test in Barbados will be followed by matches in Grenada and Jamaica, with Australia aiming to bounce back strongly after their WTC Final disappointment.Must Watch

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