Ashes Batting Battle: Why Butcher Backs Labuschagne Over Green at Number Three

Before the opening Perth Test starts a week from now, a massive topic of debate will be the number three spot: whether Labuschagne will get his reward for the domestic grind or whether the Aussies will look at Green, who has also started to bowl, as a long-term number three option. So far in the Sheffield Shield, Labuschagne has emerged as a top-run-getter, with 402 runs in four matches at an average of 67.00, with two centuries and a fifty in six innings.

Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast, as quoted by Wisden, ahead of the Perth opener, Butcher said that Labuschagne returning to his old, consistent ways is a "huge boon" for the hosts.

"The main thing, particularly in the batting, is that Labuschagne seems to have rediscovered what made him so prolific in the early part of his Test-match career by churning out runs for fun in the Sheffield Shield, which is a huge boon for Australia. I think they were loath really to throw in any of the other likely lads, none of whom have really set the world on fire in the last couple of years. So they were desperate for one of their old hands, one of their experienced hands, to quieten down the doubts as to whether or not he was still top class, and I think he has done that," he said.

Despite backing from his captain Pat Cummins as a "long-term option" at one-down, Green has not been at his very best at the spot, with just 188 runs averaging 23.5 in eight innings, with a half-century to his name.

Butcher said that playing against the new ball in Australia is always threatening for an opener, and in such situations, it is important that Labuschagne, a "top-class top-order batter", is at number three instead of Green.

"Playing against the new ball in Australia, you are always under threat of an opener getting knocked over early," said Butcher. "I think in those circumstances, having a top-class top-order batter in Labuschagne batting at three is preferable to having him go in first and then having Green come in at number three, who is yet to prove himself as being a Test-match number three batter," he added.

Marnus, after showcasing poor ODI form, was dropped from the ODI leg of the home series against Australia, but was later picked as all-rounder Cameron Green sustained an injury. However, he did not get a game.

The right-hander is without a century in his past 49 international matches, having scored just 12 fifties in 57 innings at an average of less than 30. His form has been even worse in red-ball cricket, with his last Test century coming against England back in July 2023. Since then, he has been able to muster just 668 runs in 16 matches and 30 innings at an average of 24.74, with seven fifties and a best score of 90.

Labuschagne playing at number three would also let 31-year-old Jake Weatherland get the Aussie Baggy Green after displacing a young Sam Konstas in the opening race, after the teenager struggled in the tour of WI with just 50 runs in six innings and had just one fifty in 11 innings in Aussie domestic cricket.

"I think having somebody who naturally opens the batting is always a good thing," Butcher said about Weatherland opening.

"The interesting thing is whether or not they decide to go on the slightly defensive front which I think would be to play both [Beau] Webster and Green, with Green at three and have Labuschagne open, or whether Labuschagne bats at three which I think would be a preferable line-up for them with the 31-year-old new 'fella', Jake Weatherald, opening the batting on [Test] debut."

"So in terms of the overall balance, that would be a preferable way to go. And the fact that they have picked Weatherald out of the pack kind of gives you the idea that that's the way they are thinking, too," he concluded.

Australia's First Test squad for Ashes: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster.

- ANI