Follow UsMarnus Labuschagne suffered a drop in his form in the last cricket season for Australia, which eventually led to him getting dropped. However, Labuschagne has begun the next season with big runs on the board, notably scoring two Sheffield Shield centuries in two games, and four centuries in five games across domestic cricket overall.
Steven Smith, who would be captaining Australia during the Ashes in Cummins' absence, expressed pride in Marnus Labuschagne’s response to being dropped from the Australian Test side, saying the batter’s recent performances have made “a pretty big statement.”
Smith told ESPNCricinfo that at the start of the summer, Labuschagne had made a bold declaration to him, saying, “I’ll be in that Test team come the first [Ashes] Test.” Now, after these performances, Smith also sent him a message.
“I sent him a message a couple of days ago saying how proud I was of him. He’s just gone back and he’s got his fourth hundred in five hits. It’s a pretty big statement. He’s obviously not selected yet, [but] he’s done a lot of things right,” Smith said, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
Recalling a conversation they had earlier in the season, Smith also advised Labuschagne at the time to just play the ball.
“My advice to him was to stop thinking so technically. Just go and play the game; watch the ball and react. I think he’s been doing that really beautifully and he’s played so nicely.”
Labuschagne's recent form has also raised the possibility of him taking up an opening role in the upcoming 2025–26 Ashes series, though he’s also very comfortable batting at No. 3. Smith emphasised Labuschagne’s adaptability.
“He can open, as we saw in the Test Championship Final, he can bat three. He’s versatile. (Opening is) not too different to batting three, to be honest. … I don’t think he needs to change anything if that’s the case. Just play the game, play how he has been,” the veteran batter said.
Labuschagne’s determination, strong domestic form, and ability to adapt across batting positions have made his resurgence in Australian cricket a very real possibility, which was something he predicted himself.