Marnus Labuschagne has put himself firmly back in contention for a place in Australia’s Test squad for the Ashes after scoring his third century in four innings. The Queensland batter hit a rapid 105 off 91 balls in a One-Day Cup clash against Tasmania, continuing an impressive domestic run that is catching selectors' attention.
Earlier this week, Labuschagne had scored 160 against the same opposition in a Sheffield Shield match. He also posted 130 in Queensland’s opening One-Day Cup game against Victoria in September, giving him three triple-figure scores in as many weeks across formats.
Labuschagne eyes comeback
The 31-year-old was omitted from Australia's squad for the Test series against the West Indies in July, following a lean run of form at the international level. Since his last Test hundred which was a knock of 111 runs against England in July 2023, Labuschagne has averaged just 24.74 in the format. However, his recent resurgence has sparked renewed interest in his potential role in the upcoming Ashes, possibly as an opening partner to Usman Khawaja.
He faces competition from Travis Head, Sam Konstas, and Nathan McSweeney for a place in the top order. Despite being overlooked for Australia’s ODI series against India, Labuschagne’s experience and domestic form may be too valuable to ignore.
"I felt good out there. I feel like I've really stripped it back and my focus is just scoring runs. It's not really too technical - just what I need out there to score runs,” Labuschagne said.
Labuschagne has played 58 Tests for Australia, scoring 11 centuries. While his place in the side was once automatic, he now finds himself needing to prove his worth again, and his recent domestic performances are doing just that.
The first Ashes Test is set to begin on 21 November in Perth. While England have already confirmed their squad for the high-stakes series, Australia are expected to finalise their selections closer to the start of the tour. Labuschagne’s red-hot form ensures his name remains central to that discussion.