David Warner isn't happy with Marnus Labuschagne's performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, despite his composed 64-run know in Australia's 10-wicket win over India at the Adelaide Oval. While former Australia opener acknowledged the efforts of Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja, he believes that Labuschagne's inconsistency has been a cause for concern.
David Warner not satisfied with Marnus Labuschagne's performance in BGT
Warner talked about the recurring patterns in Labuschagne's dismissals, particularly his struggles in the Perth Test, where he scored just 2 and 3 runs respectively. Although he looked good and steady with a well-composed 64-run knock in Adelaide, but for sure that wasn't enough to impress Australia's batting juggernaut Warner. The 38-year-old former Aussie star believes that Labuschagne's Adelaide show didn't meet the high standards he has set for himself.
“I’m still not convinced about Marnus...I don’t think that was anywhere near what we know he’s capable of...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. Steve of late, I think a lot of teams have been bowling at his pads and down leg side. So I think from that perspective they’re trying to shut his scoring down quite a bit,” Warner said, while speaking to The Herald.
"You see he’s trying to tinker with fixing certain things with Bumrah. His feet weren’t moving across this time. We know what Steve’s like, one knock and then he’s there. But as we know, the best form of currency is runs so you’ve just got to try your best to churn them out. Uz, exactly the same. He’s had a great 12 months before. But then, of late, he hasn’t scored as many runs as he would have liked, but same thing, you’ve just got to go out there and still present the same attitude, the same at training, keep working hard,” he further added.
On the other hand, Warner was more lenient towards Smith and Khawaja, despite their modest performances, he expressed concern over Labuschagne's inconsistency. Despite the challenging conditions, Warner believes that Smith and Khawaja, with their experience, can find their form.
Labuschagne's half-century in Adelaide, though commendable, was overshadowed by Travis Head's blistering century. Head's aggressive innings saw Australia winning the match by 10 wickets, especially after their humiliating loss in the series opener in Perth.
Meanwhile, the upcoming Gabba Test will be crucial for Labuschagne to silence his critics and prove that his Adelaide performance was not a mere flash in the pan. His ability to deliver consistent performances will be key to Australia's success in the series. Notably, the third Test between India and Australia is scheduled to be played from December 14 in Brisbane.
