Mitchell Johnson didn’t mince his words when he urged Cricket Australia to drop Marnus Labuschagne for the pink-ball Test against India in Adelaide starting from December 6. The right-handed batter scored 2 and 3 in the series opener in Perth, where Australia were beaten by 295 runs in the five-match Test series. He registered eighth single-digit scores in 2024.
He has managed 245 runs in six Tests at an average of 24.50, including three half-centuries this year.
Mitchell Johnson wrote about the dismal form of the batter in his column for the Nightly.
“Marnus Labuschagne has been poor with the bat for a long time, and he should be replaced for the second Test at the Adelaide Ova;. It is not for the sake of having someone pay the price for the defeat in Perth.”
Johnson feels Marnus needs to go back to domestic cricket to return to form. “Allow him to play Sheffield Shield and club cricket to keep him away from the pressure of playing for the country. It would help him more than going out to survive against Jasprit Bumrah and other bowlers.”
Labuschagane has scored 780 runs in 11 Tests against India, with help of one hundred and three fifties.
The legendary speedster also raised a question about Steve Smith’s form, calling it a big concern.
“Steve Smith’s form is a big concern. He is missing the boundary balls on his pads, and it seems he has lost his sharpness. He managed 0 and 17 in the first Test. In 2024, he has accumulated 230 runs in six red-ball games at an average of 25.56.
