![\"Labuschagne\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/aap.com.au\/d586c044ac8bb95f143757282bce05e0.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\nCameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne both came into the two-Test series against Bangladesh under pressure — but only the rejuvenated allrounder has enhanced his status in the Australian team.<\/p>\n
Green, thanks to a sublime knock of 104 in Darwin and a half-century in tough conditions in Mackay, will be on the plane to South Africa for October’s three-Test series after two compelling knocks at No.5.<\/p>\n
Yet No.3 Labuschagne’s struggle to find form and runs endures.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Marnus Labuschagne after being dismissed during the first Test. (James Ross\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n
After his first innings knock of four in the second Test against Bangladesh in Mackay, the 32-year-old Labuschagne now has gone 23 Tests and 43 innings at an average of 24.69 without a century, in a format where he had scored 11 tons in his first 42 Tests.<\/p>\n
Of concern is the manner of his dismissals against Bangladesh. An indecisive nudge to slip for one in the first Test in Darwin was followed by missing a straight delivery after scoring 31 in the second innings.<\/p>\n
In Mackay, in the first innings of the second Test, Labuschagne missed a Shoriful Islam delivery on leg stump and the ball deflected off his thigh pad and onto the wickets after making just four.<\/p>\n
Coach Andrew McDonald said after the Darwin Test that Labuschagne needed “big runs”.<\/p>\n
Captain Pat Cummins and No.3 batter Steve Smith have come to Labuschagne’s defence in the past two days.<\/p>\n
“I actually think he is batting really well at the moment,” Smith told the host broadcaster before play on day one of the Mackay Test.<\/p>\n
“I have watched him bat in the nets the last few days and his bat path is coming down in a really good place.<\/p>\n
“Batting is all about decision-making under pressure and when he is at his best he is not thinking technically and is just in a contest with the bowler and playing what is coming at him.<\/p>\n
“We have seen him do it for Australia and he has been the best batter in the world at stages.”<\/p>\n
Batters in the Sheffield Shield have hardly made a compelling case to replace him, but Labuschagne’s issue has been that he is not getting in the contest in Test cricket enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cummins said after bowling to Labuschagne in the nets and in match simulation situations that he was “as sharp he has been for a long time”.<\/p>\n
“It looks he is putting pressure back on the bowler and making it really difficult to get him out,” Cummins said.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, that has not translated into Tests and after his short stay in Mackay, former Test star Mark Waugh said Labuschagne “might have played his last game for Australia.”<\/p>\n
“It was an awkward looking shot, his balance wasn’t quite right,” Waugh told Kayo Sports.<\/p>\n
“Whether he gets a second innings or not, we don’t know. If he doesn’t, selectors will strongly look at his position for South Africa.”<\/p>\n
![\"Green\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/aap.com.au\/8fc3b1c96d895fb169788c45eb72ab5c.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Cameron Green has really found his best batting form against Bangladesh. (James Ross\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n
Green, who had averaged 26.28 in the latest World Test Championship cycle before his ton in Darwin, has been Australia’s best batter in the last two innings.<\/p>\n
Mitchell Starc, speaking after taking 6-12 on day one of the Test in Mackay, said Green’s 51 not out on the same day continued a positive trend..<\/p>\n
“I thought he played fantastic last week for his hundred, his first in Australia, and he has backed it up again today in definitely harder conditions,” Starc said<\/p>\n
“Whatever he is doing is paying off for him.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne both came into the two-Test series against Bangladesh under pressure — but only…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":864715,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,13047,18762,46853,44,1948],"class_list":["post-864714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-bangladesh","tag-cameron-green","tag-marnus-labuschagne","tag-news","tag-pat-cummins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=864714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864714\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/864715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=864714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=864714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=864714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}