Australia has left out Marnus Labuschagne for the first Test against the West Indies in Barbados, starting on June 25. Steve Smith is also out because of a finger injury he got during the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s. To shake things up, they’ve brought in Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis to fill the spots of Labuschagne, who hasn’t been performing well, and Smith.
Labuschagne, who opened the batting in the recent final, scored 17 and 22 against South Africa. He’s been struggling lately, averaging just 16.25 in four Tests this year, which led to him getting dropped. Selection chair George Bailey mentioned that Labuschagne can be a key player when he’s on form, but they both know he hasn’t met the expectations. They plan to keep working with him to help him get back to his best.
As for Smith, he dislocated his finger while fielding. Though he’s with the team in the Caribbean, he’s been told to wear a splint for up to eight weeks and will be looked at again before the second Test in Grenada. Bailey said Smith needs more time to heal, so they’ll let him rest for another week before checking on how he’s doing.
Bailey added that they are giving Josh and Sam a chance to step up in this series. Konstas had a good start in his debut against India last year and will likely open with Usman Khawaja. Inglis, after scoring a century in Sri Lanka earlier this year, is expected to join the middle order in Smith’s absence. Cricket Australia will finalize the batting order closer to match day.
After the Test in Barbados, there will be more games in Grenada and Jamaica, and Australia is looking to bounce back after the disappointment of the WTC Final.
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