Cricket-Australia drop Labuschagne, rule out Smith for Windies opener
Cricket - 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final - South Africa v Australia - Lord's Cricket Ground, London, Britain - June 11, 2025 Australia's Marnus Labuschagne reacts Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo
(Reuters) -Australia have dropped Marnus Labuschagne for next week's first test against West Indies in Barbados with Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis coming into the batting line-up for the erstwhile opener and Steve Smith, who is injured.
Labuschagne opened the batting in the World Test Championship final, contributing scores of 17 and 22 to Australia's cause as the defending champions lost to South Africa by five wickets.
Smith dislocated his finger while fielding at Lord's, leaving a vacancy at the top of the batting order for the first match in the three-test series in the Caribbean.
"Steve needs more time for the wound to heal so we'll give him another week's rest and assess his functionality after that," head selector George Bailey said in a Cricket Australia statement.
"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."
Both Konstas and Inglis have played two tests, the former opening the batting against India in Melbourne and Sydney last season and the latter batting in the middle order in Sri Lanka earlier this year.
Bailey said Labuschagne's test career could be revived if he could rediscover the form that took him to the top of the world batting rankings in 2023.
"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," he said.
"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."
The batting order for the first test, which starts next Wednesday, will be determined closer to the game, Cricket Australia said.
Australia also face West Indies in tests in Grenada and Jamaica on the tour.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Tom Hogue)
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