Marnus Labuschagne expressed his commitment to raising his own standards following his challenges in the first Ashes Test. Determined to regain his top form, he aims to bounce back in time for the upcoming second Test at Lord’s.
Labuschagne’s performance in the opening Test was less than ideal, as he was dismissed without scoring a single run in the first innings and managed only 13 in the second.Consequently, he conceded his position at the summit of the world Test rankings toEngland‘s Joe Root.
Despite Labuschagne’s struggles, Australia emerged victorious in a thrilling five-day battle at Edgbaston, clinching the match by two wickets.”They were very uncharacteristic dismissals to how I’ve usually played,” Labuschagne said. “That’s why I was pretty frustrated with myself to get out that way and asked myself the question, ‘Why did I play at those deliveries?’.
“I’ve come up with my own summation of what that is. Now it’s if there’s anything I can do tactically or technically to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“It’s a rarity that I’d play at those balls, so it’s not something I’m going to overthink, but I hold myself to a much higher standard than those dismissals.”
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting backed Labuschagne to return to his best.
Labuschagne’s performance in the opening Test was less than ideal, as he was dismissed without scoring a single run in the first innings and managed only 13 in the second.Consequently, he conceded his position at the summit of the world Test rankings toEngland‘s Joe Root.
Despite Labuschagne’s struggles, Australia emerged victorious in a thrilling five-day battle at Edgbaston, clinching the match by two wickets.”They were very uncharacteristic dismissals to how I’ve usually played,” Labuschagne said. “That’s why I was pretty frustrated with myself to get out that way and asked myself the question, ‘Why did I play at those deliveries?’.
“I’ve come up with my own summation of what that is. Now it’s if there’s anything I can do tactically or technically to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“It’s a rarity that I’d play at those balls, so it’s not something I’m going to overthink, but I hold myself to a much higher standard than those dismissals.”
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting backed Labuschagne to return to his best.
“I think he’s over complicating things a little bit,” Ponting told The ICC Review.
“He has to trust and believe in what’s made him the number two-ranked Test batsman in the world for the last couple of years and go back to trusting that.
“I would actually tell him to go and watch some footage and watch some video of when he’s actually played his best, and remember those things and go and do that all over again.”
The second Test starts at Lord’s on Wednesday.
(With agency inputs)
