Former Australia captain Aaron Finch is concerned about Marnus Labuschagne’s form as the World Test Championship final against South Africa approaches. Right now, the team might even drop him from the lineup if they choose Sam Konstas instead. With Cameron Green coming back, only one of Konstas or Labuschagne can play. If Konstas doesn’t play, then Australia will need to change the opening order, which could lead to Labuschagne sitting out.
Finch noted that Labuschagne hasn’t been scoring enough runs at number three and has struggled to put pressure on opponents over the last year and a half. His average in the current World Test Championship is a concerning 28.33.
“It’s tricky because Marnus hasn’t been scoring runs at No. 3, and the way he’s been playing is a worry for me. His strike rate has really dropped off, and he’s not making it tough for the other team at all. When you’re in that position, you need to be able to fight back sometimes,” Finch said to ESPNcricinfo.
“You can’t just let the best bowlers bowl at you with a new ball over and over without doing something to change the pace. You’re bound to get a good one. We’ve seen that wickets have been better for fast bowling lately, so you can’t just sit back and wait to score,” he added.
Last year against India, Labuschagne struggled with Jasprit Bumrah and scored just two runs off 52 balls in Perth, and 12 off 52 in Brisbane. With the way Test cricket is evolving, Finch is worried about his low strike rate.
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