Mounting Pressure on Labuschagne following Perth Failure

Canberra: Australia will need an exceptional batting performance to overcome India. However, with key players like Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, and Marnus Labuschagne struggling for form, they will face a tough challenge against India's potent bowling attack spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah.

In his last eight Tests, Khawaja has averaged 30.60 — with no centuries. Smith hasn’t fared any better — averaging 29.38 with no centuries in eight Tests while Labuschagne averages just 23.57.

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transform: rotate(32deg); animation: shinerMooving 3s infinite; z-index: 1; filter: blur(1px); } @keyframes shinerMooving { 0% { left: -40px; } 100% { left: 150%; } } Top 15 buys at IPL 2025 Auction Rishabh Pant ₹ 27 Cr DC LSG Total Match 111 Total Runs 3284 Highest Score 128 runs Shreyas Iyer ₹ 26.75 Cr KKR PBKS Total Match 115 Total Runs 3127 Highest Score 96 runs Venkatesh Iyer ₹ 23.75 Cr KKR KKR Total Match 50 Total Runs 1326 Highest Score 104 runs Wickets 3 Best Bowling 2/29 Arshdeep Singh ₹ 18 Cr PBKS PBKS Total Match 65 Total Runs 29 Highest Score 10 runs Wickets 76 Best Bowling 5/32 Yuzvendra Chahal ₹ 18 Cr RR PBKS Total Match 260 Total Runs 37 Highest Score 8 runs Wickets 205 Best Bowling 5/40 Jos Buttler ₹ 15.75 Cr RR GT Total Match 107 Total Runs 3582 Highest Score 124 runs KL Rahul ₹ 14 Cr LSG DC Total Match 132 Total Runs 4683 Highest Score 132 runs Trent Boult ₹ 12.50 Cr RR MI Total Match 104 Total Runs 83 Highest Score 17 runs Wickets 121 Best Bowling 4/18 Jofra Archer ₹ 12.50 Cr MI RR Total Match 35 Total Runs 195 Highest Score 27 runs Wickets 46 Best Bowling 3/15 Josh Hazlewood ₹ 12.50 Cr RCB RCB Total Match 12 Total Runs - Highest Score - Wickets 12 Best Bowling 3/24 Mohammed Siraj ₹ 12.25 Cr RCB GT Total Match 93 Total Runs 109 Highest Score 14 runs Wickets 93 Best Bowling 4/21 Mitchell Starc ₹ 11.75 Cr KKR DC Total Match 41 Total Runs 105 Highest Score 29 runs Wickets 51 Best Bowling 4/15 Phil Salt ₹ 11.50 Cr DC RCB Total Match 21 Total Runs 653 Highest Score 89 runs Ishan Kishan ₹ 11.25 Cr MI SRH Total Match 105 Total Runs 2644 Highest Score 99 runs Wickets - Best Bowling - Jitesh Sharma ₹ 11 Cr PBKS RCB Total Match 40 Total Runs 730 Highest Score 49 runs Check Full Coverage

Yet most of the discussion leading into the first Test was about Labuschagne’s tryst with medium-pace bowling and the bouncers he intended to bowl at the Indian batters. Maybe that was intended to just distract him and everyone else. But it didn’t work.

Two tortured innings at Perth revealed that here is a great who has somehow lost his way in international cricket. His 2 off 52 was of a man struggling with everything he’s got. And the 3 in the second innings was of a man just looking to somehow survive. If Labuschagne won’t score, there is no point in Australia sticking with him.

“We look at the way he plays and when he is at his best, and when we’ve seen him at his best, he’s shown great intent at the crease,” said coach Andrew McDonald in Perth. “So that’s an ongoing discussion … but internally, we are really confident that at his best, he is a player that we need.”

Many in Australia are leaning towards Josh Inglis — the versatile batter with good footwork. But for now, skipper Pat Cummins wants to show faith in a batter who was once averaging over 60 in Test cricket.

That, of course, isn’t the only worry for Australia. They have chosen to not play any domestic games even as the Indians are playing a tour game against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI.

There has been one addition to the Australian squad though with Tasmania allrounder Beau Webster being added for Adelaide as a cover for Mitchell Marsh.

Cummins has repeatedly said Marsh has been playing as the best No.6 batter in the country but there is no doubt that his bowling will take the load off pacers in what is going to be a long series. If he can’t do that, it might be better to give Webster a go.

Webster was the leading scorer in the Sheffield Shield last summer, with 938 runs at 58.62 for Tasmania, and he can bowl pace and spin when needed. He also had a couple of decent games against India A earlier this month — making 145 runs in four innings and claiming seven wickets at 19.57, including six wickets in Melbourne.

“I would be comfortable to do whatever they require,” Webster said. “I feel like I have done it all over the past 10 years, at the top or in the middle. But I dare say the role will be somewhere between that five or seven role with the bat and bowling some overs as well, probably seam-up since we’ve got the spin department covered pretty convincingly with Nathan (Lyon) and a few other guys who bowl some spin.”

Marsh, at his best, isn’t a question but the question is when is he truly at his best. At the start of the first Test, Cummins said Marsh was absolutely fit but by the end, he said there were a few niggles. It just makes things difficult for the team and the selectors.

Still, the pressure at this point is firmly on the hosts. The manner in which they fight back in Adelaide could go a long way towards deciding the tone of the series.

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