Australia Coach Unfazed by Labuschagne’s Recent Form

Despite Marnus Labuschagne’s recent lackluster performances, Australia coach Andrew McDonald remains confident in the key batter. As the reigning ICC World Test Championship winners prepare for the second Test against New Zealand, the team is expected to remain unchanged.

Labuschagne’s recent contributions have been modest, scoring just one and two runs in Australia’s decisive 172-run victory in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington. The right-handed batter has not scored more than 10 in his last three Test appearances.

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McDonald acknowledges that Labuschagne’s scoring has not been up to par, but he remains optimistic about the batter’s potential to bounce back in the second Test against the Kiwis, which begins in Christchurch on Friday, 8 March.

“There’s no significant concern from our side. We want our top six or seven batters to perform collectively,” McDonald stated.

“As long as the rest of the team is performing and we’re winning games, the concern levels are relatively low.

“There will be ups and downs in any career. Despite scoring only two runs in the second innings, Labuschagne’s intent and energy at the crease were commendable. That’s what we expect from him at his best.”

The Australia squad shares their experiences of playing with Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith ahead of the ICC World Test Championship Final 2023.

McDonald cited Labuschagne’s unbeaten 62* against Pakistan in January and his 11th Test century during the Ashes series with England last year as evidence of the batter’s capabilities.

“We’ve seen his intent to score and put pressure on the bowler, like in Sydney against Pakistan and in Manchester during last year’s Ashes,” McDonald noted.

“Sometimes, the conditions don’t allow for that, and he has to absorb more pressure.

“But even in difficult conditions, he often underestimates how much pressure he can put back on the opponent’s bowling unit when he shows intent.”