BGT 2024-25: Mitchell Johnson calls for Marnus Labuschagne's ouster from Australia XI for Adelaide test

Marnus Labuschagne scored only five runs in the Perth test against India.

Amid Marnus Labuschagne’s poor form, former speedster Mitchell Johnson has suggested that Australia drop their No. 3 from the upcoming Adelaide test match.

A former No. 1 ICC-ranked test batsman, Labuschagne has been in terrible form in recent times. In his last five test matches, he has averaged only 13.66 with one fifty in 10 innings. In fact, he has just one double-digit score in these 10 outings.

He looked completely out of sorts in the first BGT 2024-25 test in Perth, fighting to survive the hostile spells from the Indian seamers.

In Perth, he restrained a lot from playing deliveries outside the off-stump and managed just two runs off 52 balls in his first innings. In the second innings, he shouldered arms to an incoming delivery from Bumrah and was dismissed lbw for only three runs.

While Australia coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins have given their backing to Labuschagne, there have been calls from several quarters of his axing.

Labuschagne would benefit from playing in Sheffield Shield: Johnson

Mitchell Johnson has opined that Labuschagne needs to go back to Sheffield Shield and get some runs under his belt to improve his confidence.

In his column for ‘Nightly,’ Johnson wrote, “Marnus Labuschagne – after a lengthy poor run with the bat – should be replaced for the second Test in Adelaide. And that’s not for the sake of having someone pay the price for the thrashing in Perth.

“It would give him a chance to play some Sheffield Shield and club cricket away from the pressure of playing for your country. I feel he would benefit from that more than going out there trying to survive against Jasprit Bumrah and co.”

Johnson reckons dropping Labuschagne wouldn’t mean the end of the road for the right-hander with the test side but a break for him, giving him the opportunity to return a better batsman.

“Dropping Labuschagne would not mean he doesn’t still have a long future in the Test team or that he’s the wrong player to bat at three. For the time being, in this form slump, we need him to be better – which means making big runs,” the former seamer added.

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