Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne is facing another setback in his Test career, with the selectors deciding not to consider him for the upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand in December and January. The decision comes after a disappointing run of performances against Bangladesh and South Africa, raising fresh questions about his place in Australia’s red-ball setup.
Australia’s selection chair George Bailey confirmed on Monday, that Labuschagne would not be in contention for the opening Test against New Zealand. While the decision does not necessarily mark the end of his international career, it gives the right-handed batter an opportunity to return to domestic cricket and rediscover his form.
Why Marnus Labuschagne is set to be dropped for Test series against New Zealand?
1. Prolonged century drought and declining returns
One of the biggest reasons behind Labuschagne’s omission is his prolonged struggle to convert promising starts into substantial scores. The 31-year-old has gone 49 innings without scoring a Test century, with his last hundred coming during the 2023 Ashes in Manchester.
For someone who established himself as one of Australia’s most dependable middle-order batters, the extended drought is a significant concern. Although he managed to begin the recent home Ashes campaign with half-centuries in each of the first two Tests, his performances have deteriorated since then.
His numbers against Bangladesh and South Africa further highlight the problem. Labuschagne managed just 36 runs across the series against Bangladesh at an average of 12. He subsequently scored 131 runs in South Africa at an average of 21.83. Australia also endured disappointing results in both assignments, drawing the Bangladesh series 1-1 before suffering a 2-1 defeat against South Africa. Labuschagne’s inability to deliver consistent contributions became an additional concern for the team management.
2. Failure to capitalise on promising starts
Bailey also pointed towards Labuschagne’s inability to make big scores despite getting himself into promising positions at the crease. Addressing the media, the Australian selection chair acknowledged that the batter had missed several opportunities to produce substantial innings, particularly during the matches against Bangladesh and South Africa.
“He’s missed some opportunities, some promising starts in Darwin [against Bangladesh] and even in South Africa as well, to go on and get a big score that we’d like and would have liked for some time, and that just hasn’t happened,” Bailey explained.
The comments suggest that Australia’s concerns are not necessarily limited to Labuschagne’s inability to get going. Rather, the selectors want him to demonstrate greater consistency and turn his starts into match-defining contributions. After establishing himself as a regular at No. 3, Labuschagne has struggled to reproduce the performances that once made him one of the most reliable members of Australia’s batting lineup.
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3. Selectors want to give him space to regain form
Another important factor behind the decision is Australia’s intention to remove the uncertainty surrounding Labuschagne’s selection ahead of the next round of Sheffield Shield matches. Bailey explained that the selectors wanted to provide the Queensland batter with clarity rather than allow speculation about his future to continue.
“At this stage, we won’t be considering Marn for selection for certainly that first Test, but for the New Zealand series,” Bailey said.
He further explained that the decision was partly intended to give Labuschagne some breathing room as he prepares to return to domestic cricket and captain Queensland. The next round of Sheffield Shield matches begins on November 11, with Australia expected to announce their Test squad after those fixtures conclude. Importantly, Bailey made it clear that Labuschagne has not been permanently ruled out of Australia’s plans.
“It’s still possible, absolutely. And I think we all know how good and how effective Marnus can be at his best. But that performance hasn’t been there,” he added.
Australia have a demanding schedule ahead, with a five-Test tour of India following the New Zealand assignment and an away Ashes series also scheduled for next year. Labuschagne will therefore have opportunities to fight his way back into contention if he can rediscover his scoring touch in domestic cricket. For now, however, the message from the selectors is clear: Labuschagne needs to deliver consistent performances before reclaiming his place in Australia’s Test XI.
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