Ricky Ponting, the captain of the World Cup-winning team, has encouraged Marnus Labuschagne to stay in the starting lineup for the semi-final matchup against South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Notably, Travis Head’s injury guaranteed his status in the starting lineup. When the left-handed batter eventually arrived, Labuschagne was supposed to go up, but the cricket player was able to hold down the number four spot despite a string of injuries.
But Labuschagne’s status is up for debate again ahead of the semi-final, when both Glenn Maxwell and Steven Smith are healthy. It’s interesting that Ponting mentioned that the cricketer needs to start in the starting lineup rather than Marcus Stoinis, who hasn’t performed well at all in the World Cup. He pointed out that Labuschagne is currently Australia’s second-highest run scorer and said that he may be very useful in the middle overs.
“I think I would (keep Labuschagne)… Australia has shown that they can rely on Mitchell Marsh’s bowling before turning to Stoinis,” Ricky Ponting stated during the Fox Cricket broadcast.
“If you truly look at the stats for this series, he (Labuschagne) hasn’t done too badly, ranking second in run scoring… and I know the most crucial aspect of this tournament that Australia hasn’t mastered yet is their middle-order batting.” They must immediately correct that, as they haven’t done it correctly. The 48-year-old stated, “You have to fix those overs 11 to 40 if you’re going to win the World Cup.”
With two fresh balls in play, you definitely need your most proficient hitters in terms of technique. Shane Watson
Australia lost a lot of wickets in the middle innings, as former cricketer Shane Watson pointed out, and as a result, Watson feels that the squad requires technically sound batters to overcome the opposition in the semifinals. He shares the same views as his former captain and thinks Labuschagne is qualified to do so.
In the event that Australia is placed second in a semi-final match, you will need your most proficient hitters to manage the moving ball during that time, especially with two new balls swinging around. Labuschagne has the aptitude to manage a moving ball thanks to his test skills. Australia may have to bat second under the lights, and Watson noted that he has performed admirably in that role thus far in the competition.
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