THE ASHES 2025-26
Steve Smith praised Labuschagne for backing up his words and proving his worth in the ongoing Sheffield Shield © Getty
Steve Smith praised Marnus Labuschagne for making a ‘big statement’ in the summer as the latter is in contention to make a Test squad return for next month’s Ashes at home. After a prolonged lull in form, Labuschagne had been dropped from the West Indies Tests earlier this year. But he has hit the ground running in the ongoing Sheffield Shield, hitting centuries for fun.
“He said to me at the start of the summer, ‘I’ll be in that Test team, come the first Test’. He’s backed up his words,” Smith said. “I sent him a message a couple of days ago, saying how proud I was of him. He’s obviously got dropped from the team and he’s just gone back and he’s got four hundreds in (six) hits.
“That’s a pretty big statement. He’s obviously not selected yet, but he’s done a lot of things right,” Smith said.
On his part, Labuschagne has stated that he will behappy to open the innings too, if it comes to that to get back in. Labuschagne’s preferred No.3 spot, now belongs to all-rounder Cameron Green.
Speaking of his own game, Smith reckoned he was refreshed and ready to go in the Ashes after not picking up a bat since late August. “I certainly get drained mentally quicker than I probably used to. Ten years ago I loved to come back and play every single game that I could. Now obviously my Test cricket has taken a huge priority,” Smith said, as he gears up to lead Australia with Pat Cummins unlikely to be fit for the start of the Ashes.
“I know that when I play a lot at the start, by the end of the summer I’m pretty cooked mentally and probably can’t produce the same performances. Last year I was probably batting my best at the back end of the summer against India, coming off not too much cricket at the start,” he added.
Smith revealed a shift in his approach too, talking about not hitting as many balls in the nets as he previously used to and keeping mentally fresh. “Honestly, it takes me two hits to get sorted. I feel like I’m ready to go now. There’s obviously a balance, but I don’t think it takes me much now to get up to game speed and I want to try and stay as mentally fresh. Technically I feel in a good place, it’s about being mentally fresh. I’m not hitting as many balls as I used to. It’s to try and get the most out of myself mentally when I’m out in the middle and be able to concentrate for long periods of time.”
“It’s interesting how the brain works. I feel like I kind of go to another level and try to set a standard, I suppose,” he added.
The first of the five Tests begins on November 21 in Perth.
© Cricbuzz
