Australia were worried when Pakistan’s pace attack came into play late on day three of the thrilling Perth Test, where it was a fierce contest. Marnus Labuschagne was struck hard on his little finger by a delivery that came off a length and climbed swiftly towards him from Khurram Shahzad. He had scans on Saturday night.
After a thorough evaluation by the team’s medical staff, the right-handed batter continued to bat, but the severity of the blow will cast doubt on his availability. Australia’s batting lineup may change if he is rested for the forthcoming Boxing Day Test at the MCG in favour of all-rounder Cameron Green’s return.
If Marnus Labuschagne is ruled out, it will be a significant omission. He has been a reliable presence in 39 straight Test matches since the 2019 Ashes.
Australia’s Josh Hazlewood told reporters, “He was with the doc and physio for the last hour just chatting through it and doing a few tests on the finger…dare say he might be pretty sore,” as cited by ESPNcricinfo.
Pakistani pacers dealt a severe blow to Australian hitters.
Australia’s fortitude was put to the test on the difficult Optus Stadium surface, which became more biting as the day went on. Shaheen Shah Afridi’s short-pitched pitches struck star batter Steve Smith repeatedly on his arm, necessitating medical care after one of the balls struck him in the forearm. Despite the difficulties, Smith and Usman Khawaja, the opener, remained steadfast and led Australia to 84 for 2 at stumps, a commanding advantage of 300 runs.
“He has amazing bravery. Playing the short ball is going to be more difficult, in my opinion, than it was in the first innings. In the end, hitting appeared pretty difficult there. As the game progresses, I believe the cracks will become more noticeable. “Tomorrow is going to be another hot day,” Smith’s pacer Josh Hazlewood remarked.
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