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. “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.

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

"He's a good player, and one I think that's going to continue to develop across formats," Bailey said. "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]. 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."

"'Inglis probably gets lost a little bit, given the fact he's been in so many squads, but not necessarily had the opportunities," he added. "But he is one I think who potentially can – and again has shown this probably more in white-ball cricket – but has the ability to bat in a range of positions."

Furthermore, there have been discussions about Steve Smith taking the No.3 spot, and Bailey did not rule out that possibility. "Steve has batted at three for a large part of his career," Bailley said. "Hasn't done it for a little while, and has had success there. So absolutely, that'll be a conversation at some point."

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.

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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