Labuschagne facing axe as Australia reshapes Test team for South Africa
Australia's training session hints Marnus Labuschagne will be dropped for the third Test against South Africa after a sharp dip in form.
Training observations at Newlands in Cape Town suggest Marnus Labuschagne will miss the third and deciding Test. The batsman did not bat in his usual first rotation of the nets session, instead bowling leg spin before a lengthy conversation with coach Andrew McDonald and Steve Smith.
Josh Inglis is back in contention after a fractured finger, while Cameron Green is expected to bat only. Labuschagne has struggled for form, scoring between 30 and 49 in six of his past nine innings.
His last century came 48 Tests ago, and his average over his past 37 Tests is half what it was in his first 30. Steve Smith faced only throwdowns for around 15 minutes due to neck soreness from the second Test loss.
- 48
- Tests since last century
- 30-49 in 6 of past 9 innings
- Recent score range
- Half of first 30 Tests over past 37
- Average decline
- Newlands, Cape Town
- Training location
Why it mattersDropping a senior player mid-series signals Australia sees the South Africa series as winnable and is willing to rebuild on the fly.
AustraliaAustralians following the Test series will see a major selection shake-up that could define whether the team bounces back or falls further behind.
Corroborated by7news.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
