Australia‘s batting woes deepened in Mackay as Marnus Labuschagne‘s latest failure prompted Ricky Ponting to demand a change, despite the hosts securing a sizeable first-innings advantage over Bangladesh.
Australia’s top order once again came under the microscope during the second Test against Bangladesh at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. While Mitchell Starc produced a sensational 10-wicket haul to demolish Bangladesh, Australian batters failed to make the most of the favourable position. Labuschange had another disappointing outing which has intensified questions about whether Australia should continue persisting with the experienced No.3.
Ricky Ponting wants Australia to move on from Marus Labuschagne
Labuschagne’s latest failure lasted only 14 balls as he managed four runs before Shoriful Islam found the breakthrough. The Bangladesh pacer produced a delivery that brushed Labuschagne’s pad before deflecting onto the stumps, leaving the batter once again short of a substantial contribution. The dismissal extended a worrying run for Labuschagne. He has now gone 10 innings without scoring a half-century and has not registered a Test century since the 2023 Ashes. Former Australia captain Ponting believes the selectors have shown enough patience and should now consider replacing him. Ponting also highlighted a technical weakness in Labuschagne’s game, particularly his inability to consistently score off the back foot.
“I admire what they’re trying to do to get him back to his best. But it’s been way too long now. I would have made the change at the start of this series. There’s some technical deficiency there, but he’s making the margin for error for the bowlers too great. He can’t score off the back foot, and if you can’t score off the back foot in Test cricket, batting becomes a hard game. Bowlers now know they can bowl anywhere from 10 metres to four metres on off stump and as wide as they want, and he can’t hurt them. It’s well and truly time to have a look at somebody else,” Ponting said on Seven.
Australia’s top order fails to respond
Labuschagne was not the only Australian batter to struggle in Mackay. Matt Renshaw, recalled after Jake Weatherald’s omission, could manage only eight runs on his return to the Test side. Travis Head also failed to provide the spark Australia have come to expect from him at the top of the order, falling for 22. Head had previously enjoyed considerable success as an opener against England but has now gone four innings without a half-century.
Ponting had already called for Australia to begin rebuilding its batting unit following their disappointing defeat to Bangladesh in Darwin in the first Test. He admitted that he would normally prefer to keep an established group together, but believes there is now enough evidence to justify changes.
“Look, I’m the last one I want to make a change. As a captain or as a player, I wanted to keep the group together. It has to get to a bad point before I start saying you ought to leave somebody out. But there had been enough evidence for me coming here to suggest that they weren’t going to lose anything or much at all by starting that regeneration, by maybe bringing in another opener, by maybe bringing in someone at No.3. I think that that has to happen,” added Ponting.
Mitchell Starc and Shoriful Islam dominate in Mackay
The batting struggles were partly overshadowed by an outstanding day for the fast bowlers. Starc spearheaded Australia’s bowling attack by taking a phenomenal match haul of 10 wickets, ripping through Bangladesh’s first innings with figures of 6 for 12 before backing it up with 4 for 39 in the second. Bangladesh’s left-arm quick Shoriful delivered an equally impressive individual performance, fighting back to claim his maiden Test five-wicket haul with stellar first-innings figures of 6 for 35, ultimately finishing the match with 7 wickets. Eventually, the Aussies defeated Bangladesh comprehensively by an innings and 51 runs inside just two days to level the two-match series 1-1.
