Veteran Australia opener David Warner feels that Marnus Labuschagne has not regained his rhythm yet despite his gritty half-century in the winning cause against India at Adelaide Oval. The Aussie no. 3 has been going through a lean patch with the bat this year in Tests, and his twin failures in the Perth Test made critics question his place in the XI. The pink-ball test was crucial for Labuschagne to get some confidence back, and he bounced back with a 64-run knock off of 126 balls. He showed grit and resilience during the initial phase of the innings to tackle the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
However, he failed to convince his former teammate David Warner, who feels the Aussie top-order batter is nowhere near his best.
“I’m still not convinced with Marnus. I don’t think that was anywhere near what we know he’s capable of,” Warner told Fox Cricket.
Warner, who is commentating in the BGT, said Labuschagne got freebies at the start of the innings, which allowed him to get set, but in the end, he got out in a similar way from the past. He failed to check his shot at the last moment while playing a cut as it went in the air, and Yashasvi Jaiswal grabbed a stunner to send him back to the hut.
"He might have got a couple out of the middle, got a couple of freebies, batted well that night to get through but they bowled poorly. So from that perspective, he had the best conditions to come out and bat in. But he got out the same way he always does get out when he gets over 50, hits it straight to gully," he added.
‘There’s a lack of awareness’: Warner on Labuschagne's dismissals
Earlier, in the first Test, he struggled on the bouncy track at Perth and managed 2 in the first innings despite facing 52 balls. In the second essay, his stay was cut short after just 5 balls with just 3 runs to his name.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, in the first Test, he struggled on the bouncy track at Perth and managed 2 in the first innings despite facing 52 balls. In the second essay, his stay was cut short after just 5 balls with just 3 runs to his name.
{{/usCountry}}Warner didn't mince his words while criticising Labuschagne's lack of awareness in the middle, which has been causing a lot of problems for him.
"So there’s a lack of awareness there of what he’s got to be mindful of. I don’t think he’s anywhere near where he should be," he concluded.