Before Australia’s second Test match against New Zealand in Christchurch begins on Friday, March 8, head coach Andrew McDonald offered support to misfiring batsman Marnus Labuschagne.
Australia comfortably defeated their trans-Tasman adversaries by 172 runs in Wellington to win the opening Test. Throughout the match, they maintained control of the situation and outperformed the Kiwis. On a personal level, though, star hitter Marnus Labuschagne did not have the kind of outing he would have imagined. Scott Kuggeleijn removed him after he scored just one run off of 27 balls in the first inning. The right-handed hitter left the game after driving in a couple of runs, though he would have liked to make a difference in the second inning.
The Australians are a little concerned about Labuschagne’s performance lately. He barely played a few games last year, averaging 20.25, and finished with a low average of 34.91 after 25 innings played. This was his lowest average in a calendar year since his debut in 2018. The 29-year-old has only scored 22 runs in his last six innings in the Test match.
Andrew McDonald isn’t overly concerned about Labuschagne’s slump, though. According to the former Australian cricket player, the batting unit’s performance is more crucial. Andrew McDonald wouldn’t be unduly concerned as long as Australia wins and the other batsmen surrounding Labuschagne continue to perform well.
From our perspective, there is no significant cause for concern, as we want the top six or seven batters to be playing as a unit. Therefore, the concern levels are slightly lower while you are winning cricket matches and the others are performing around that. India Today cited McDonald.
Occasionally, the circumstances prevent you from applying further pressure to the bowler. Andrew McDonald
McDonald said that when Labuschagne shows a desire to attack and looks to put pressure on the bowler, he performs exceptionally well. It’s difficult to stay aggressive against bowlers under different circumstances, the 42-year-old admitted.
“When he is at his best, we see that, and in the second inning, I thought, the intent and the energy he (Labuschagne) brought to the crease—and it was only two runs, so I do not want to get carried away,” McDonald said. “Over time, there are going to be some ebbs and flows in your career.”
“We witnessed that in the second innings of Sydney’s match against Pakistan and at Manchester during the previous year’s Ashes, where he intended to score and retake the wicket from the bowler. Sometimes the circumstances prevent it, so you have to take in a little bit more information, McDonald continued.
With 19 fifties and 11 hundreds under his belt, Labuschagne has amassed 4,018 runs at an amazing average of 49.60 from 49 tests. Not only does he have an outstanding record in Test cricket, but he also has a great deal of confidence in both his game and technique. All it takes is one strong inning for him to regain his batting form.
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