Will Cummins’ Support for Labuschagne Transform the WTC Final?

London, June 10 (NationPress) Australia captain Pat Cummins has expressed his support for Marnus Labuschagne to take on the role of opening the batting in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord’s. This marks a significant adjustment in the team's top-order lineup.

Cummins has chosen Labuschagne to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order, hoping that the 30-year-old can become a reliable long-term option for a position that has seen various players try to step into David Warner's shoes.

Although Labuschagne has never opened in Test cricket before and has managed only one Test century since late 2022, he did not impress much during his two appearances for County side Glamorgan earlier this month.

“Cam Green has shown great form in recent weeks, and we believe he deserves a position in the batting lineup. We felt that batting at three would suit him best. With Marnus moving up, it’s really just a one spot adjustment. It’s not drastically different from batting at three. He has performed well in England previously. All the boys have trained hard, including Sam (Konstas) and Josh Inglis. We opted for Marnus's experience, not just here at Lord’s, but in England overall,” Cummins informed reporters in London on Tuesday.

The captain further elaborated that while there are unique challenges to opening in English conditions, it also presents early scoring chances, particularly before the Dukes ball begins to swing significantly. “Opening the batting can be difficult, but it can also be the best time to score runs. There’s an opportunity to capitalize,” he noted.

Labuschagne, a former World No. 1 Test batter, will take the field with Usman Khawaja at the beginning of the innings, while Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, and Beau Webster will form a formidable middle order.

Green returns to the Test squad after recovering from back surgery, while Webster continues to provide valuable all-round support, contributing both part-time medium pace and spin.

In terms of bowling, Josh Hazlewood has been chosen over Scott Boland, a decision Cummins admitted was one of the hardest to make. “Some players, like Scott, have done nothing wrong and are simply unfortunate to miss out,” Cummins said, reassuring that Boland remains a crucial part of the team moving forward.

Teenager Sam Konstas, who was also in contention for a batting position, has been omitted. However, Cummins emphasized that the 19-year-old is still very much part of Australia’s long-term vision. “He’s young and has a bright future ahead. Even without playing, we want to provide him with learning opportunities.”