Calls for Marnus to be axed ‘on principle’ after horror dismissal

Calls are growing louder for Marnus Labuschagne to be axed from the Australian Test side after a moment of “complete and utter madness” in South Africa.

And as coach Andrew McDonald spoke to media after Australia’s diabolical day four with the bat in the second Test, he admitted he simply could not defend the shot selection of the first drop in the visitors’ follow-on innings.

McDonald also confirmed Cameron Green and Josh Inglis, who have been sidelined with injury, would be “on the selection table” for the third Test beginning next Tuesday.

The Australians effectively found themselves batting for a draw in Gqeberha after being skittled for 99 and then being made to follow on, a day after South Africa had declared its first innings closed at 9-425.

But Labuschagne had a brain snap.

Despite having patiently made his way to 39, the under-fire first drop danced down the wicket to off-spinner Simon Harmer and tried to belt him over the leg-side boundary, only to hole out to Marco Jansen.

The Proteas erupted with joy, Labuschagne threw his head back, and those in the Australian dressing room licked their fleshy wounds some more.

“What the hell is that?” was the reaction of former Australian Test opener Simon Katich on SEN.

Commentator Gerard Whateley was just as scathing.

“Complete and utter madness from Marnus Labuschagne,” he said.

“... He can’t take advantage of the gift that he was given, and that is just daft cricket.”

The brain fade laid waste to a partnership of 92 runs between Labuschagne and opener Travis Head.

Come the end of day four, Australia was four wickets down and still 171 runs short of making South Africa bat again.

Australia leads the series 1-0 but is highly likely headed for a decider in Cape Town.

“Well, he can hang his head backwards and think he’s unlucky, but you’re trying to hang on for a draw, and you’re trying to go down town over mid-on into the breeze?” Katich said of Labuschagne.

“You’d have to wonder what’s going through his mind.”

Labuschagne has now strung together 47 Test innings without scoring a century.

While the Queenslander made a century in the tour match that preceded the ongoing Test series, he hasn’t scored a Test ton since reaching triple figures in Manchester in the 2023 Ashes.

From the 25 Tests he has played since his Manchester ton, he has averaged 25.34.

He fell for 14 in Australia’s first innings in Gqeberha, and twice made 37 in the opening Test in Durban.

He began the 2023 Ashes as No.1 in the ICC’s Test batting rankings and has taken a massive fall since.

“It’s not like it’s a one-off, because this has been going on for three years,” Katich added.

Labuschagne was dropped for last year’s tour of the Caribbean but fought his way back into the side on the back of blistering domestic form.

Whateley reckons he may need to be dumped again.

“I just think if Australia lose this Test match, he has to be dropped now,” he said.

“Just as a matter of principle, we cannot tolerate this from our senior players.”

Katich continued to vent.

“I mean, how many players in the history of Australian cricket have been given this many opportunities without scoring a hundred?” he said.

“Back in the day, you were lucky if you didn’t get dropped after missing out 10 times, let alone nearly 50.”

McDonald was visibly frustrated, both with Labuschagne’s dismissal and the dire position Australia is in heading into day five.

“I mean, you saw what we saw,” the coach said.

“For me, the option’s there if the ball’s in the right area. It is a strength of his.

“But in that scenario, there’s probably some shots that players could take back.

“He did a lot of hard work once again, and I think it feels like I’m on repeat around the amount of 30s that he has got. You’d say that’s been a danger period for him.

“... There was some bad error there. I think we are better than that. But as it sits right now, I can’t defend that.”

Green has been dealing with an abdominal strain and Inglis a broken finger, but they are fit again and applying pressure on some of the incumbents.

“They’ll be on the selection table for Cape Town, but I don’t want to talk selection at this presser,” McDonald laughed.

Another player who could be back in the Test selection frame – not for the Cape Town match, but the Australian summer and next year’s tours of India and the UK – is 21-year-old Sam Konstas.

The exiled Test opener struck an unbeaten 151 for NSW against Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield at the WACA this week, having already made 71 in the Blues’ first innings.

David Warner took to social media on Wednesday night to float the possibility of Konstas batting at No.3 for Australia.