Marnus Labuschagne’s form slump worsened even further on day two of the second Test in what former Australian batter Greg Blewett described as a simple “brain fade”.
The struggling batter, who barely survived the axe for this Test after falling cheaply in last week’s series opener, was trapped in front for just four after playing back to a Prabath Jayasuriya delivery.
Labuschagne spanked the first ball he faced from Nishan Peiris for a boundary but was out soon after when he went back to a delivery which skidded on.
He had a chuckle when the Sri Lankans called for a review after their appeal was turned out but that smile quickly vanished when the replay showed the ball was cannoning into leg stump.
“This is just a brain fade I think from Marnus Labuschagne,” Blewett said on Seven commentary.
“Jayasuriya bowls with side spin and with a new ball you’ve just got to assume that the ball is going straight on. I think he was looking to come out and be really proactive but he just went back to a ball he should have been playing straight to
Labuschagne has now scored only one Test century from his past 50 innings.
Peiris had snared the key wicket of Travis Head (21 off 22 balls) with the pervious delivery, the aggressive opener edging to first slip attempting a big shot down the ground.
But despite his early defiance, Labuschagne would last only one more over before Sri Lanka reviewed an lbw shout from Prabath Jayasuriya (1-25) – perhaps the only man on the ground as fond of an appeal as Labuschagne himself.
Sri Lanka had problems with their review selection in the series opener but there was a sizeable gap between ball and bat this time and ball-tracker showed the delivery blasting into leg stump.
Marnus Labuschagne in Galle. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)
Labuschagne’s disappointment was palpable as he walked off, having been the only specialist batter to miss out on a score in a rollicking first-Test win.
The No.3 now has only one more Test knock before June to reassert himself as the superstar who averaged 62.3 with the bat in the four years from the start of 2019 until the end of 2022.
Labuschagne made two valuable half-centuries in the tight MCG win over India this last home summer, but since the start of 2023, he has averaged only 30.9.
Usman Khawaja also went LBW, to Peiris, on 36 but Steve Smith (54 not out) and Alex Carey (30 not out) have steadied the ship to lift Australia to 3-148 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 257.
Carey was elevated in the order due to Josh Inglis suffering back soreness, which kept him in the sheds for most of Australia’s fielding innings.
with AAP
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