Australia pull the plug on Marnus Labuschange. The dough fell off the test side

Marnus Labuschagne, once the pride of Australia in Test cricket, has been dropped from the national team. Australian chairman of selectors George Bailey confirmed on Monday, November 9, that the top-order batsman will not be considered for the team’s upcoming four-Test series against New Zealand, starting on December 9 in Perth.

The writing was on the wall for Labuschagne, once synonymous with Steve Smith for his prolific scoring in the longest format. The 32-year-old has not scored a Test century since the 2023 Ashes and his struggles have continued in recent years. His poor returns in Australia’s recent defeat against South Africa appear to have ultimately cost him his place. Marnus hasn’t got a hundred since Ashes 2023. (Photo by Reuters)

Labuschagne scored zero and four in the final Test against South Africa in Cape Town after failing to make 40 in the first two matches. This extended his run without a century to 49 innings, a remarkable drop for a batsman who was once among the most prolific in the format.

“At this stage we will not be considering Marn for selection for the first Test, but for the New Zealand series,” Bailey told reporters, confirming the decision.

The selectors also sought to clarify Labuschagne’s immediate future, with Bailey saying the decision would allow the batsman to focus on domestic cricket without the uncertainty surrounding his place in the side.

Labuschagne’s numbers underscore the extent of his decline. Since dropping out in Australia’s three-Test series against the West Indies in the Caribbean in 2025, he has averaged just 23.66 in 10 Tests, with two half-centuries in 19 innings.

However, his struggles began long before this omission. Labuschagne hasn’t averaged 40 in a calendar year since 2022, when he was still operating at his peak. He scored 10 centuries in 36 innings between November 2019 and December 2022, establishing himself as one of the most reliable batsmen in world cricket.

This remarkable run also took him to the top of the ICC Test batting rankings. Australia’s middle order, with Labuschagne and Smith operating together, has become one of the most formidable combinations in the format.

But since then, the numbers have taken a sharp turn. His career average, which was 60.82 after 30 Tests, dropped to 42.64 after 68 matches. Inability to convert promising starts into sizable scores has been a recurring problem, including Australia’s recent tours in Darwin and South Africa.

But Bailey insisted the door was not permanently closed on the Queensland batter and said a return to the Test side was still a possibility.

“It’s still possible, absolutely. And I think we all know how good and how effective Marnus can be at his best. But that performance wasn’t there,” Bailey said.

“I think he missed some opportunities, some promising starts in Darwin and even in South Africa, to go on and get the big score that we would have liked and have wanted for a while and it just didn’t happen.”

Labuschagne will now return to Queensland to captain the team in the Sheffield Shield, with the next round of domestic competition starting on Wednesday. Bailey said the selectors would use those matches to assess their options before finalizing Australia’s squad for the New Zealand series.

The return of Steve Smith is also expected to be an important part of Australia’s plans after he missed the series decider in Cape Town with a neck injury.

Bailey added that several players remain in contention for vacant batting spots, with the selectors set to make their final decisions after the next round of Sheffield Shield matches.

The immediate task for Labuschagne is to rediscover the consistency that once made him one of the cornerstones of Australia’s Test batting. With a demanding Test schedule, the selectors have made it clear that reputation alone will not be enough to secure his place.

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