Australia v India: Marnus Labuschagne to be axed for second Test?
Starting in January this year, Labuschagne has scored 123 runs in his last five Tests at an average of 13.66.
There were seven single-digit dismissals in that match and had it not been for the 90-run innings against New Zealand, his average would have been much lower.
This decline has continued for two years, with Labuschagne averaging almost half what he did in his first 52 Test innings.
His statistics (and perhaps his skills) have changed significantly before and after the start of the South Africa series in December 2022.
In the opening stages, he averaged 54.77 against long balls from seamers.
This is the third-highest tally by any Test batsman during that period, behind New Zealand duo Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls (at least 500 long balls).
But since the start of the South Africa series, Labuschagne’s average strike rate on long balls is 15.33, the third-lowest of that particular length (minimum 300 long balls).
He is also more susceptible to balls in the channels outside off-stump. In the first stage, his points per game average was a world-leading 78.55, but has now dropped to 17.50 – the lowest in the world.
This could have something to do with the change in his footwork early in the innings.
In the first phase of his career, he hit 49% forward and 33% off the back foot in his first 30 passes. In the second phase of his career, those percentages became 30 and 35, respectively.
His interception point (where a batsman makes contact with the ball on average) is actually 15cm further forward, suggesting he is trying to hit the ball faster, perhaps to reduce the chance of an LBW out.
“You’re not human if it doesn’t affect you in some way, it affects some players more than others,” former Australia captain Steve Waugh told TNT Sports.
“Playing club cricket should be an option for Manus, just to get a step in your step, get the ball through the middle and make you feel good about yourself.”
England’s Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan added: “For someone like Marnus Labuschagne, who is one of the game’s great thinkers, the alternative is not picking up the bat. , he might complicate things a little from the looks of it. “For a week, switch off. “
