Mark Butcher has backed Marnus Labuschagne to reclaim his No.3 spot for the first Ashes Test match over 'defensive' Cameron Green top-order balance.
Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast ahead of the opening Ashes Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth, Butcher said Labuschagne's return to runs in the Sheffield Shield would be "a huge boon" for Australia amid uncertainty over the make-up of their top three.
"The main thing particularly in the batting is Labuschagne seems to have rediscovered what made him so prolific in the early part of his Test-match career [by] churning out runs for fun in the [Sheffield] Shield, which is a huge boon for Australia," said Butcher. “I think they were loath really to throw in any of the other likely lads, none of whom have really set the world on fire in the last couple of years. So they were desperate for one of their old hands, one of their experienced hands, to quieten down the doubts as to whether or not he was still top class, and I think he’s done that.”
Amid a prolonged slump in his Test form, Labuschagne was moved up to open for the World Test Championship final earlier this year. He was one of several options Australia have tried at the top of the order since David Warner's retirement. After making scores of 17 and 22 in the at Lord's, Labuschagne was dropped for Australia's tour of the West Indies, in which Sam Konstas and Cameron Green batted at Nos.2 and 3 respectively. However, Labuschagne's prolific returns in the early rounds of Australia's domestic season saw him named in their squad for the first Ashes Test.
‘Cameron Green is yet to prove himself as being a No.3 Test-match batter’
Labuschagne is likely to be named in Australia's side for the first Test, but it's unclear whether he will resume as an opener or back at No.3. Australia turned to Cameron Green to fill the No.3 position during the WTC final and during the West Indies series, with Green also recovering from back surgery which prevented him from bowling. If Green is fit to bowl, he could move back down the order to allow for two specialists, as well as Usman Khawaja, at the top.
Despite public backing from Pat Cummins as a "long-term option" at No.3, Green has struggled to produce consistent scores in the top order. In eight Test innings at No. 3, Green has amassed 188 runs at an average of 23.50, with one half century.
“Playing against the new ball in Australia, you’re always under threat of an opener getting knocked over early,” said Butcher. “I think in those circumstances, having a top-class top-order batter in Labuschagne batting at three is preferable to having him go in first and then having Green come in at No.3 who is yet to prove himself as being a Test-match No.3 batter.”
Labuschagne resuming at No.3 would pave the way for a Test debut for 31-year-old Jake Weatherald. The Tasmania opener displaced Sam Konstas in Australia's squad after the teenager struggles in the Caribbean, and managed one half-century in his first 11 innings of Australia's domestic season.
“I think having somebody who naturally opens the batting is always a good thing,” Butcher said. “The interesting thing is whether or not they decide to go on the slightly defensive front which I think would be to play both [Beau] Webster and Green, with Green at three and have Labuschagne open, or whether Labuschagne bats at three which I think would be a preferable line-up for them with the 31-year-old new ‘fella’, Jake Weatherald, opening the batting on [Test] debut.”
“So in terms of the overall balance, that would be a preferable way to go. And the fact that they’ve picked Weatherald out of the pack kind of gives you the idea that that’s the way they’re thinking too.”
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