Weight of expectation in Marnus' wait for breakthrough

Marnus Labuschagne might have recognised an immediate contrast when his Ashes counterpart at No.3 was asked of his expectations in the role.

"If I can come off once in four knocks, if I do play the next (Test) as well, and then chip in in the other ones, I feel like that's a decent job done," Moeen Ali said this week.

England's twisting of conventional logic – that is, picking your best player to come in at the fall of the first wicket – is another page out of the Bazball playbook.

On another level, it might also have left Labuschagne wondering how the narrative around his puzzling performances in this series might be different if the bar had been set that low.

Given the right-hander entered the series as the world's top-ranked Test batter, that was of course never going to happen.

Nor has Labuschagne lost any of the determination that saw him begin Australia's six-Test tour of the United Kingdom with a batting average closer to 60 than 50.

Not even the most renowned Australian trainer, Steve Smith, could argue he has faced more balls in the nets during an era-defining campaign featuring a World Test Championship final and an Ashes series back-to-back.

"Both of those guys may have moved their hotel pillows into the nets over the last couple of days, the amount of time they’re been spending in there," joked Pat Cummins.

Even on Tuesday’s eve of the fourth Test as Manchester held true to its reputation as England's wettest venue, Labuschagne was in the Old Trafford indoor nets facing throwdowns from consultant coach Andy Flower.

Image Id: 8E77FF1E02394DD488366E8AF2DDCAFC Image Caption: Marnus Labuschagne chats with Steve Smith and Andy Flower in the Manchester nets // Getty

A knock to the helmet did not stop him from continuing to bed down a constantly evolving technical approach that he adjusts for each England bowler.

For the extra pace of Mark Wood, Labuschagne wants his trigger movement to take him right across his stumps. For the other seam bowlers he remains more leg-side.

At least, that’s the current plan.

On the field, Labuschagne is in the middle of his longest drought without a Test century, with this 20-inning stretch since his 163 against West Indies in Adelaide last home summer eclipsing the 15 innings it took for him to make his first hundred.

Despite Labuschagne having been out edging seam bowlers in five of his eight innings on this tour, to say he is out of form, or even short of time in the middle, would be off the mark.

Among the Australians on this tour, only three players have faced more balls than Labuschagne's 483. Alex Carey and David Warner have scored three half-centuries between them, yet both have spent less time at the crease. 

The frustrating part for Labuschagne and his team is how, despite consistently surviving the hardest part of his innings, he is still yet to have a major influence on a Test.

"Sometimes he walks off and he might not feel like he’s batted well but he’s found a way to get to 20 or 30 and that’s what you want from an any batter, really," Cummins said following a nine-day break between the third and fourth Tests.

"He’s been tinkering like he always does. It’s been good to have a week off for everyone to refresh and come back with a clear mind and clear plans."

Labuschagne's squandering of starts fits into a larger pattern going beyond this series.

Out of those 20 knocks without a century, just twice has he been dismissed for single digits, while only seven times has his innings lasted less than an hour.

He is averaging 33.16 over that period, admittedly higher than Moeen's overall career mark of 27.82 from 66 Tests.

There is also the growing disparity between his record at home versus his record abroad. In Australia, Labuschagne averages over 70, a number that drops to almost half that (36.60) when playing Tests overseas.

Stuart Broad said earlier in the series that getting the likes of Labuschagne and Smith out early was crucial if they hoped to win the Ashes, yet England are buoyed by the fact they keep getting Australia's No.3 out after he has survived their initial charge.

That satisfaction is qualified by wariness of Labuschagne's dormant capabilities.

"We have managed to do something right to not allow Marnus to go on to make those big scores like he's been able to do throughout his career so far," said skipper Ben Stokes.

"(But) you don't read too much into stuff like that against world-class players. There's a reason why he averages 55 in Test cricket, he's a quality player.

"We've just been really good at sticking to our plans. Hopefully we can do the same (again) and hopefully he doesn’t get a big one this week."

2023 Qantas Ashes Tour of the UK

First Test: Australia won by two wickets

Second Test: Australia won by 43 runs

Third Test: England won by three wickets

Fourth Test: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: Thursday July 27-Monday 31, The Oval

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood