Marnus Labuschagne's ‘frustrating' first day on the job leaves Pat Cummins with a headache
Marnus Labuschagne's future at Test level could be hanging by a thread.
As Australia marched into the World Test Championship final this week at Lord's, the spotlight turned a little sharper onto the Queenslander's recent output.
Especially after skipper Pat Cummins opted to send him in to face the new ball while desperate for runs.
Labuschagne has averaged just 28.33 across the two-year WTC cycle.
It's a far cry from the prolific heights he once occupied, and now calls to axe him are slowly amplifying.
His experience at No. 3 made it a somewhat logical selection for Pat Cummins to promote him to opener heading to Lord's.
His ability to occupy the crease are, on paper, a captain's dream when looking for an opener.
To his credit, he did a job, of sorts, on Wednesday. Surviving 18 overs of probing swing under moody skies at Lord's isn't a cakewalk.
But it wasn't exactly reassuring for selectors looking to the future. His lack of momentum sparked criticism from the commentary box, as 20 consecutive dot balls sapped the momentum from Australia's innings early on.
'It's quite frustrating to watch,' said former England batsman and Aussie arch-nemesis Kevin Pietersen in commentary.
'He has the ability to hit the ball.'
Even his own captain seemed to gently nudge him toward a more proactive mindset.
'We love when (openers) are busy and they're putting pressure back on the bowlers,' Cummins said. 'That's our message here to Marnus... There's runs to be scored there.'
South African skipper Temba Bavuma also threw a veiled swipe before play this week, suggesting his strike team of seamers could capitalise on the 'opportunity' of having Marnus in a new position while in a slump.
'I think there is an opportunity there,' Bavuma said.
'I think the conditions as well, I believe, bring us into the game a lot. With the swinging ball, (it's) very different to Australian conditions. Different to South African conditions as well, so that definitely gives us an opportunity.'
Towering left-arm quick Marco Jansen took that opportunity just as Labuschagne appeared to get over the initial hurdle, snagging his outside edge and sending him on his way for 17.
Former captain and Marnus' good mate Steve Smith backed up Marnus in front of the press after day one, declaring that he 'looked really sharp'.
That was echoed by former South African superstar AB de Villiers, who suggested the 30-year-old actually looked to be 'in form'.
'I thought he started pretty well today. He looked really sharp in his movements. He left really nicely. He was solid in defence and he played some really good shots,' Smith said.
'So I think it would have been nice (for him) to have gone on and made a few more, as it would have been for all of us out there, but I think we can take some positives on the way he was moving and the way he was playing.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
AFLW star Tilly Lucas-Rodd ‘so happy' after gender-affirming top surgery
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFLW. Followed categories will be added to My News. AFLW star Tilly Lucas-Rodd has revealed they are 'so happy' and feel so much like themselves after having gender-affirming top surgery during the off-season. The 29-year-old Hawthorn star is the league's first current player to undergo the surgery - which removes breast tissue in a similar way to a double mastectomy - and said they feel so much more comfortable. 'People often have asked me, 'How do I feel now that I've had it' - post-surgery, seeing myself,' Lucas-Rodd, who identifies as non-binary, told ABC Sport. '... for me, it was like, 'this is how I've always looked when I saw myself' … This is what I've always thought and always seen internally.' AFLW star Tilly Lucas-Rodd says they are 'so happy' after undergoing gender affirming top surgery. Picture: Instagram/tillylr Prior to the surgery, Lucas-Rodd was taping or binding their chest and wearing a guernsey multiple sizes too large in order to reduce dysphoria. This practice however, was causing issues, sometimes restricting breathing and movement, and creating back pain. Since returning to training, however, Lucas-Rodd said they are relishing the freedom of not needing a sports bra or chest bindings. 'Going out onto the track in our training guernseys or our singlets, I just feel so, so happy and so just like me,' they said. 'I had huge discomfort around my chest, huge dysphoria. It didn't match up with what I felt internally I should look like.' The halfback came out publicly as non-binary in 2023, saying at the time that they 'don't really identify strongly as my assigned gender at birth, which is female.' 'I don't really feel strongly that I fit into that label as a female, and at the same time I don't feel like I'm a male, either. I guess I'm in between that,' they said in a video shared on the Hawthorn website. 'So for me, the label 'non-binary' feels most comfortable about how I identify in terms of my gender.' Lucas-Rodd said they feel more comfortable and like themselves since returning to training. Picture: Instagram/tillylr The Hawthorn player identifies as non-binary. Picture: Instagram/tillylr Two other AFLW players, Carlton star Darcy Vescio and former Gold Coast player Tori Groves-Little, also identify as non-binary, and two former players have undergone gender-reaffirming top surgery since leaving the league. Lucas-Rodd spoke to their Hawthorn teammates about the surgery when returning to training and said they were met with 'such love and acceptance'. While opening themselves up to public commentary by sharing their story has been nerve-racking, Lucas-Rodd said they hope to help others in a similar position. 'It's also to show gender diverse and trans people that there is a place for them in sport,' they said. 'Coming out publicly with top surgery, people will say and do what they want, but I'm trying to show people that no matter what gender you are, no matter how you express that, no matter anything about you, that you belong in sport and you belong in sport at a professional and elite level. 'That's a big thing for me … being like regardless of your gender and how you express that, there is this place for you in sport.' Since sharing their ABC Sport interview on Instagram, Lucas-Rodd has recieved many messages of support, including from Aussie musician G Flip who said, 'Hells yeah Tilly,' and Wentworth star Zoe Terakes, who shared a series of strong arm and love heart emojis. Originally published as AFLW star Tilly Lucas-Rodd 'so happy' after gender-affirming top surgery
Daily Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Super Netball Round 11 results: West Coast Fever 68-63 win over Adelaide Thunderbirds
Don't miss out on the headlines from Netball. Followed categories will be added to My News. West Coast Fever's challenge for the minor premiership continues after crushing the finals hopes of the Adelaide Thunderbirds. The 68-63 match, in front of a voracious Perth crowd, is Fever's ninth win on the trot and has rocketed them up the ladder to second spot. It also equalled the record for winning the most consecutive Super Netball games. Despite the victory, the close scoreline did little to improve Fever's goal percentage which is all that is standing between them and the top spot. The Adelaide Thunderbirds will now need to rely on other results to stoke their dying hopes of limping into fourth position and a third consecutive tilt at the title. As predicted, war was waged at each end of the court as the teams' respective Jamaicans battled for supremacy. Alice Teague-Neeld of the Fever looks to pass. For the Fever, goal shoot Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and defender Kadie-Ann Dehaney had near instantaneous impact. Dehaney, who is in career best form, got hand to ball early and had national teammate Romelda Aiken-George looking uncomfortable on the shot. Two early misses, and a few retaliatory elbows signalled the frustration from Aiken-George who eventually steadied her emotions to net 41/47. Speaking about Aiken-George's overall performance, Thunderbirds coach Tania Obst praised her leadership: 'She is such a target for us. Loz [Lauren Frew] is learning so much from her. I think she enjoys the battle against her fellow Jamaicans and she was a real competitor again tonight for us.' As Fowler-Nembhard continued to dominate, off the back of great ball service from match MVP Alice Teague-Neeld, Thunderbirds's coach Tania Obst constantly rotated her troops in search of a winning formula. Latanya Wilson, who collected eight gains last week, was a menacing presence but could only finish with two gains for her side. Romelda Aiken-George receives a pass. Sensing the Thunderbirds were building momentum off the back of Lauren Frew's supershot ability, Fever rang in the changes adding more defence to the middle. It did little to slow the visitors as they won the third 19-15, locking the scores at 51-a-piece heading into the final term. With the Thunderbirds battling to return to the top four, and Fever looking tired after four of their past five matches on the road, both sides fought desperately for every pass in a torrid final quarter battle. As Fever pushed the scoreline out, Frew's earlier hot hand went cold, allowing the home side to run home five goal winners. Fever coach Dan Ryan said he thought his side was gone heading into the final term. 'It was a battle and a half. They never really let us get into any flow or gear. At times we were our worst nightmare. Then it quickly turned. It was all over the shop,' he said. DOGGED DEFENCE Thunderbirds defender Latanya Wilson is well and truly stepping out of Shamera Sterling-Humphrey's shadow. The Jamaican duo has ruled the defensive stats for a number of years but with Sterling-Humphrey now on maternity leave, Wilson is proving that she is just as formidable on her own. The 188cm defender leads the league in deflections (with 69 - 14 ahead of the second place holder) and intercepts (28 - ahead by 11). Her turnovers are also impressively low (eight) for someone who has played all but three minutes of the season so far. DIAMONDS WATCH Fever's Alice Teague-Neeld has been in sparkling form this season. The 28-year-old leads the league for goal assists (with 211, four more than Diamonds captain Liz Watson) and is second place, behind Watson, for feeds (331) and centre pass receives (203). She was in similarly great form last season and was an invitee to the end-of-year Diamonds camp. Surely, with two years of consistently reliable form, she would again be on the selectors' radars. Fever fans celebrate. A VIEW FOR WOMEN'S SPORT Netball Australia and Whoopi Goldberg's All Women's Sport Network (AWSN) have entered into a multi-year deal to bring Suncorp Super Netball into 900 million homes worldwide. The partnership will see 41 matches (including finals) made available to AWSN audiences through to the end of 2027. Originally published as Super Netball Round 11 results: West Coast Fever 68-63 winners over Adelaide Thunderbirds
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Bangladesh on top after fightback against Sri Lanka
Visitors Bangladesh hold the upper hand at the end of the fourth day of the series-opening Test against Sri Lanka, reaching 3-177 in their second innings to lead by 187 runs. With seven wickets in the hutch and the pitch beginning to show signs of wear and tear, the tourists will fancy their chances of pulling off a rare Test victory overseas and pocketing some precious World Test Championship points in the process. Having eked out a slender first-innings lead of 10 runs, Bangladesh batted with the sort of positive intent on Friday that suggests they were not content to merely survive. Shadman Islam set the tone, first putting on 24 for the opening wicket with Anamul Haque and then 36 more with Mominul Haque. But it was his third-wicket partnership — a sturdy 68-run stand with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto — that truly swung momentum Bangladesh's way. Shadman's knock of 76 was fashioned with composure and clarity, the left-hander repelling spin and pace alike with soft hands and a watchful eye. He looked set for three figures before Milan Rathnayake trapped him in front, but by then the groundwork had been laid. Mushfiqur Rahim together with his skipper — both centurions in the first innings — steadied the ship and nudged the lead beyond 150, blunting Sri Lanka's hopes of a late-evening flurry. Earlier in the day, it was off-spinner Nayeem Hasan who turned the tide for the tourists in Sri Lanka's first innings. With the hosts perched on a commanding 6-470 and threatening to surge ahead, Nayeem swooped in. His five-wicket haul — his fourth in Test cricket — helped bowl Sri Lanka out for 485, a lead of merely 10. The prized wicket was Kamindu Mendis, who was coasting on 87 — scarcely playing a false stroke — when Nayeem found extra bounce and subtle turn to kiss the outside edge, Litton Das gobbling up the catch with glee. "My variation was the key," Nayeem said. "Main thing is I tried to bowl at one area and keep changing the seam position. When you do that over a long period of time, your discipline pays off." Hasan Mahmud proved a perfect foil, bowling with control and reverse swing under the afternoon sun, finishing with three wickets and keeping the pressure on from the other end.
