'Don't reinvent the wheel!': Pat Cummins defends a struggling Marnus Labuschagne ahead of 2nd Test vs. Bangladesh originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:- Pat Cummins backed Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan Lyon ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh in Mackay.
- Selectors resisted major changes despite Australia's historic nine-wicket loss in the series opener against Bangladesh.
- Cummins explained why Lyon retained his spot over Scott Boland, citing expected pitch conditions at the Great Barrier Reef Arena.
Australia captain Pat Cummins put his weight behind middle-order batsman Marnus Labuschagne ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh in Mackay despite his patchy form.
Labuschagne's spot had come under scrutiny after his dismissal for 31 in the second innings, which was preceded by an extended stretch of lean form that saw him dropped after the World Test Championship final before eventually returning for the Ashes.
Cummins made clear he isn't losing faith in the batter, and instead pointed to Labuschagne's long track record at the top level.
"I was going to say the runs are on the board, um, not sure that's the right term, but he's been number one bat in the world, or close to. He's scored thousands of Test runs, so we know it's in him," he told reporters.
"I know it's only training and centre wickets and match simulations, but I thought he's been as sharp as he has for a long time. That's me bowling at him and getting that feedback. Looks like he's really, you know, getting himself back into the ball, putting pressure back on the bowler, making it really difficult to kind of get out."
Cummins rounded off his defence by urging patience rather than panic, and he claimed that last week's failure was a minor setback and not a reason for wholesale change.
"As a bowler, it feels like the margins are really small when someone like Marnus or Steve is kind of at their best form, and you know, I've felt that the last couple of months," he said.
"So, you know, last week was a bit of a blip. You know, our message to Marn is that you don't need to reinvent the wheel after last week. I think trust the work that he's put in the last six months, because I think he's in a really good place."
Why did Nathan Lyon survive the axe after faltering in Darwin?Nathan Lyon's position looked shaky too after a rough outing in Darwin, where the 38-year-old finished with figures of 1 for 125 across both innings as Bangladesh secured a historic nine-wicket win.
Selectors had weighed the option of dropping Lyon in favour of Scott Boland, but ultimately Cummins, head coach Andrew McDonald and chief selector George Bailey settled on keeping Lyon in the side, as they keep banking on the Great Barrier Reef Arena pitch, which they think should offer enough turn to justify his inclusion across five days.
“If you think there’s a good chance that first bowling innings you’re going to take 10 with, mainly the quicks, relatively quickly and perhaps the fourth innings isn’t going to break up, that’s a lot of the decision,” Cummins said.
“The extra layer to that is having someone like Scotty Boland on the bench who is very classy; that’s why the conversation always comes up.”
Backing experience over panic feels like the right call hereCummins' decision to stand by both Labuschagne and Lyon deserves credit, even after such a humbling defeat. Wholesale changes following one bad Test often say more about public pressure than sound cricketing logic.
Labuschagne's net form, as described by his own captain, suggests signs of a batter working his way back to his best, and dropping him now risks disrupting that progress right when it seems to be paying off.
MORE: Ashwin praises Bangladesh for the historic win over AUS, reignites 'designated Test centres' debate
The Lyon call is slightly trickier to defend purely on numbers, given how poorly he bowled in Darwin, but Cummins' explanation around conditions makes tactical sense rather than sentiment.
Keeping faith with proven performers through a rough patch, rather than reacting purely to results, tends to build the kind of trust that helps players recover form rather than spiral further. If both Labuschagne and Lyon deliver in Mackay, this decision will look shrewd. If they don't, though, the pressure to finally make changes will only grow louder, and rightly so.
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