Bridgetown: For the first time since 2019, Marnus Labuschagne isn’t receiving his usual VIP treatment in the nets.
Pegged down the pecking order following his axing from Australia’s Test XI to face the West Indies, the reality hit home for Australia’s long-time No.3 on Saturday morning at Windward Cricket Club in Barbados, where he was forced to wait until the end of training to hit balls.
Labuschagne wasn’t the only notable absentee from the first group of batters at Australia’s first full training session of their three-Test Caribbean tour.
Steve Smith’s absence was expected, given he’s already been ruled out of the first Test in Bridgetown, starting Wednesday, due to the finger injury he sustained in the World Test Championship final.
However, the Australian vice-captain has decided not to stay with teammates in Barbados.
Instead, Smith has taken a five-hour flight to New York. Relocation to the Big Apple has been deemed an equally suitable rehab setting than lounging by the team hotel pool.
An image Steve Smith posted to Instagram after injuring his finger in the WTC cricket final at Lord’s.Credit: Instagram
Smith has an apartment in New York and has spent extended periods there in recent years.
Unable to train, Smith will continue rehab and individual work in the US, with team officials adamant he’ll return to Barbados on June 28 and give himself every chance to be fit for the second Test in Grenada starting on July 3, provided the wound heals.
Smith and Labuschagne typically hit more balls than anyone in the Australian squad, so it would’ve stung the latter to watch others – Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Josh Inglis, Cam Green – get first crack during a lengthy centre-wicket net session at a training venue 30 minutes out of Bridgetown that was more park cricket than international standard.
Marnus Labuachagne bats in the nets at Australian training in Barbados ahead of the team’s opening Test against the West Indies. Credit: Tom Decent
At one point, Labuschagne looked ready to stride in – only for Alex Carey to gently tell him it wasn’t his turn yet.
Chief selector George Bailey was at training, just days after informing Labuschagne that his streak of 53 consecutive Tests since the 2019 Ashes was over.
At 30, Labuschagne’s Test career is far from finished. He is too good a player and his Test average of 46.19 still eclipses Justin Langer (45.27), Usman Khawaja (44.96) and David Warner (44.59).
An injury to someone in the top six this week would see Labuschagne parachuted in given Australia aren’t carrying a spare batsman at the moment.
When his time for a bat finally came, after nearly two hours of practice, Labuschagne faced a mix of net bowlers and assistant coaches armed with the “whanger” before poring over footage with a team analyst and discussing technique improvements.
He stayed in the nets for nearly 20 minutes after others had packed up for lunch, watching England attempt to get close to India’s first innings total of 471 on the clubhouse TV.
Earlier, Labuschagne had selflessly bowled seam-up to teammates – including Khawaja and Konstas – for the best part of an hour to help them prepare.
Even when Labuschagne tempted Konstas into a drive and found an edge, he didn’t celebrate.
Australia will have one more main training session on Monday before the team’s opening Test on Wednesday.
Selectors are strongly considering playing two spinners, with left-armer Matt Kuhnemann in the frame to join Nathan Lyon on what is expected to be a dry Kensington Oval pitch.
NSW paceman Sean Abbott sent down a long spell after replacing the injured Brendan Doggett in the squad but remains at long odds for a debut in this match, with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland all fit.
“Obviously the four guys have been playing some pretty unbelievable cricket. There’s a pretty firm pecking order,” Abbott told reporters.
“I’d say it’s probably going to be more of an opportunity through injury or trying to rest a few guys.
“I mean it’s good being here. I need you guys to have a chat to Ronnie [coach Andrew McDonald] and Bails [selector George Bailey] and put in a good word so I get a game.
“If I do, I’ll get the first shout of rums down at the bar.”
