It is Labuschagne who is the more interesting case having had the trickiest year of his Test career to date, albeit he had set very high standards. He was not alone in being troubled by Ravindra Jadeja in India, although managed to reach double figures in all but one of his eight innings. He was then done by Stuart Broad’s outswinger (which Broad was happy to say was designed especially for him) in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. There was also the uncharacteristic slog sweep at a crucial moment of the Headingley Test when Australia were a probably a couple of hours away from setting up a 3-0 lead.
Through the year, Labuschagne has only failed to reach double figures – what can loosely be termed “a start” – in four of his 23 innings. For someone with such an insatiable hunger for runs, and a love of batting, you would suspect that will add to the angst as much as anything.
When asked if his net session against reserve quicks Lance Morris and Scott Boland on the fourth morning in Perth was to test out his hand, he replied: “It was to bat…something I didn’t do enough of in this game.” You pity Australia’s coaches with the wanger in the couple of days leading into Boxing Day.
2023 is comfortably Labuschagne’s leanest year since he cracked Test cricket in 2019, and in a year where Smith has played at least five Tests it’s his lowest average since 2013.
Labuschagne and Smith will be vital for Australia in the next year or so as a transition phase begins. As a sign of the mature make-up of the team, Labuschagne was the youngest member of the XI in Perth – one of only two players under 30, alongside Head who turns 30 during the second Test. David Warner will be the first to depart in two Tests’ time and the selectors will hope that Smith and Khawaja do not end too close together.
However, it is not insignificant that both Smith’s wait to add to his MCG hundreds and Labuschagne’s relative struggles at the ground have come since more life was injected back into the pitch following the moribund 2017-18 Ashes Test. The groundsman, Matt Page, has promised there will be assistance for the bowlers again this year. There could be some hard work ahead if they want to finish the year on a personal high, but few would be surprised if they find a way to do it.
