3 minute read

Marnus Labuschagne expects to bat at No.3 in Adelaide but would be willing to open for the first time in almost five years in the first Test if needed.

Marnus Labuschagne is willing to step up and open the innings if required to solve Australia's first Test conundrum, but still expects to bat at No.3.

Australia have gone from a wealth of openers headed into the Border-Gavaskar series to a serious dearth for Adelaide.

Will Pucovski became the latest to be ruled out on Saturday after his concussion, while David Warner's groin injury has sidelined him. Both are now focusing on a return for the Boxing Day Test.

The Test squad's injury crisis continued in the pink-ball tour game at the SCG, where Cameron Green suffered a concussion on Friday then Sean Abbott (tight calf) stopped bowling after delivering seven overs on Saturday.

Joe Burns is in increasingly poor form, with his duck in the tour game against India on Friday night taking his first-class average for the summer to 7.62 from eight innings.

Marcus Harris has been included in the Test squad and looks almost certain to form at least one half of Australia's opening partnership come Thursday.

Labuschagne meanwhile was the answer to almost every question Australia had last summer.

He has not opened in first-class cricket since scoring 103 and 52 for Queensland in February 2016, having only batted at the very top of the order 13 times in total.

But the 26-year-old said he was ready to open if required in Adelaide.

"There hasn't been (a conversation about it) ... currently I think I'll be No.3," he said on Saturday.

"If the team needs me to open, then that's what we'll do.

"It's about winning games, and if that's our best way to win games then it's all good ... it's about what is doing best for the team."

Moving Labuschagne to open would create a spot for allrounder Green, while Michael Clarke floated a similar idea for Matt Wade to go to the top this week.

But Green remains in doubt for the first Test after copping a scary blow to the head off his own bowling at the SCG.

"Cameron has shown clinical improvement overnight and is symptomatically better than yesterday," Australia A team doctor Pip Inge said.

"We will continue to monitor him."

Meanwhile Labuschagne backed Burns to return to form in time for the Test, having reached out to him after his struggles in the first tour match.

"He is going alright," Labuschagne said.

"We've all been there where you just want it so badly, you want the runs. A few innings isn't a judgment on a players' ability and how he is going.

"I have full faith in Joe in that if he is selected he will be right to go. He is a man for big moments and getting into contests.

"I really hope he gets some runs in the second innings and quiets everything down. He is a very good player."