The old adage that it is harder to get out of the Australia cricket team than into it is about to be put to the test. The horror show against South Africa in the second Test that ended in defeat for Australia by an innings and 31 runs exposed familiar fractures in the lineup that have less than a week between matches to be repaired. The Australian selectors have shown in South Africa they are prepared to change a winning formula with the ball, while they have long been reluctant to cut ties with proven performers with the bat.
But the first innings capitulation as Australia were all out for 99 in Gqeberha could force their hand to make a tough call or two – or perhaps more – as a selection storm brews before the series decider in Cape Town. Marnus Labuschagne remains a persistent problem though arguably not the most pressing concern with Australia forced to consider other selection dilemmas. Even with three scores in the 30s from four innings in this series against South Africa, Labuschagne’s numbers are damning.
So was his decision to loft off-spinner Simon Harmer into a stiff breeze and toward the long on fence when time at the crease was Australia’s only hope of escaping St George’s Park with a series lead. The 32-year-old’s barren spell without a Test century has now extended well beyond three years and he has averaged 22.09 in 47 innings since last raising the bat against England at Old Trafford. He has not averaged more than 40 in a Test series since compiling 207 runs with three half-centuries on home turf against Pakistan in 2023-24.
A Test average that sat above 61 in late 2022 has now dropped to 43.36. Labuschagne had been clinging on to his spot since long before he was left out of the side for three Tests against West Indies that followed the 2025 World Test Championship final. Even with the numbers stacked against him, Labuschagne could still be handed one more last chance with a vacancy widely expected to open at the top of the order to partner Travis Head.
The most likely route to another Test lifeline could therefore be for Labuschagne to open the innings in Cape Town, just as he did in the WTC final defeat last year. Cameron Green and Josh Inglis are expected to be available for the third Test after recovering from injuries sustained during the one-day leg of the tour of South Africa. Green is nearing a return after suffering an abdominal strain in the third ODI and spent time batting in the nets as the second Test played out at St George’s Park.
The 27-year-old once rivalled Labuschagne as the batter most under pressure, until he earned some credits with a defiant ton and a half-century from No 5 in the drawn series against Bangladesh. Head coach Andrew McDonald has said Green is unlikely to bowl in the Test series against South Africa but his batting alone should be enough to ensure selection, if fit, with Australia needing reinforcements to help fill the top six. Inglis, on the other hand, remains far from a walk-up starter.
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