Australia keep faith in Labuschagne, but line up potential No.3 replacements for South Africa Tests

Labuschagne, who was recently dropped from Australia’s ODI squad to take on Zimbabwe and South Africa, has been included in the 16-player setup for the Test series against South Africa, along with Cooper Connolly and Josh Inglis as his possible replacements in the XI.

The drop in form for Labuschagne has been no secret. His last Test century came during the 2023 Ashes in Manchester. Against Bangladesh recently, he registered scores of four, one and 31, respectively, which attracted further scrutiny over his declining Test returns.

Australia selector George Bailey has backed the 32-year-old, asserting his belief in Labuschagne’s return to form. The Pat Cummins-led side have kept their faith in their No.3, but have also named potential replacements should Labuschagne be excluded from the XI.

“We are not shying away from the fact that we'd like some more runs from Marnus”, Bailey said on Monday. He continued, “That's clear, but we're also confident that he can still make a positive contribution to that squad.”

"I think our batting group in its entirety, not just Marnus, probably hasn't been functioning as successfully as we would like, but also not shying away from the fact that we've continued to win a lot of Test matches over that period.”

Bailey also clarified that Labuschagne was excluded from Australia's ODI squads to help him focus on his preparations for the red-ball series.

Cooper Connolly and Josh Inglis could take the Australia No.3 spot for South Africa Tests

Connolly, who played his only Test until now in 2025 against Sri Lanka, has amassed 800 runs off 13 innings in first-class cricket without a century. He has also been named in the ODI squad on the back of a century against Bangladesh in June this year.

Speaking about whether Connolly will be able to bat in the top three, Bailey remains hopeful, stating that every time he's been picked, Connolly has been eager to expand his game.

"He's a good player, and one I think that's going to continue to develop across formats," Bailey expressed. "Every time that we've had him on tour, he's a good learner. He's keen to expand his game."

"I think he will be able to [bat in the top three]," Bailey said. "Whether that's now, whether that's in the future. He's still so young in his career, but I think his ability to bat in a range of positions will continue to grow as he gets more and more experience."

Josh Inglis has also been named in the Test squad, with Bailey trusting both his and Connolly’s ability to bat in the top three. Inglis, who was a part of the squad for the Tests against Bangladesh, is yet to feature in a Test match this year, with his last appearance being in December last year against England in Adelaide.

Matt Renshaw and Travis Head are likely to open the batting, with no other opener named in the squad. Alongside Connolly, Michael Neser and Matthew Kunhemann are the only players added to the squad, with the remaining 13 being the same from the recent Bangladesh series.

Furthermore, there have been discussions about Steve Smith taking the No.3 spot, with Head moving back to No.5. Bailey did not rule out either possibility, also being aware of what it could do to the structure of the side.

"Any time you do make a move, it's what are you taking away from where they are performing, and that's always going to be a question, particularly around Travis, I think, the success that he had at five, but also the success he has had at the top, and what he and what he provides to the structure of the team there", Bailey stated.

"So I think there are always going to be considerations", he continued. "Steve has batted at three for a large part of his career. Hasn't done it for a little while, and has had success there. So absolutely, that'll be a conversation at some point."

South Africa will host Australia for a three-match ODI series, before three Tests starting from October 9, 18 and 27, respectively. The first Test will be played in Durban, and the next two in Gqeberha followed by Johannesburg.

Australia Squad for Tests against South Africa

Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

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