Representative image. DustyNail, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
Australia needs to consider a different No.3 for the New Zealand series. The confirmed omission is separate from a retirement or a final decision about the later India tour.
Marnus Labuschagne has been left out of Australia’s plans for the New Zealand Test series, ending speculation about his immediate place. Selection chair George Bailey told reporters on Monday, 9 November, that Marnus Labuschagne would not be considered, with the opening Test in Perth on 9 December specifically mentioned.
Bailey also left open the possibility of a future return. Reports by Fox Sports and Nine say the decision follows the batter’s difficult tour of South Africa and gives him an opportunity to play an extended spell of domestic cricket for Queensland.
What changes for Marnus Labuschagne at Australia’s No.3 spot?
The decision creates a change at first drop, the batting position usually called No.3. That player comes in after the first wicket falls. It is a role in the batting order, separate from whether someone is included among a larger touring or series squad.
Fox Sports reported Bailey’s comments as ruling Labuschagne out of consideration for the New Zealand series, including the first Test. Nine likewise described the decision as applying to the four-match home series. Neither report reviewed identifies an appointed replacement at No.3.
That leaves two different questions: Labuschagne’s current selection status, and whom Australia will choose instead. The first has been clarified by Bailey’s remarks. The second still depends on the squad and batting-order decisions that follow.
The form figures cover different periods
Labuschagne scored 131 runs at an average of 21.83 across the three Tests in South Africa, both outlets reported. Fox Sports says he finished the deciding Test at Newlands in Cape Town with scores of zero and four.
The wider figures describe a longer decline, but their time windows overlap. His run without a Test hundred has reached 49 innings, dating to the 2023 Ashes. Fox Sports also reports 16 innings without a Test half-century. Those are not separate blocks of innings that can be added together.
| Window | Reported figure | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa series | 131 runs, average 21.83 | Three-match tour performance |
| Since his Test recall | 426 runs, average 23.66 | Nine’s 10-match measure |
| Since his last Test hundred | 49 innings | Longer century-free sequence |
| Since his last Test fifty | 16 innings | Shorter sequence within that period |
A batting average also differs from runs per match: it divides runs by dismissals, so not-out innings affect the denominator. It would be misleading to divide 131 by three matches and label that result his batting average. The table keeps the reported average and the match count separate.
A previous recall does not guarantee another one
Labuschagne had already lost his place during Australia’s Caribbean tour last year. He later returned for the Ashes after scoring heavily for Queensland. Nine reports that the period since his recall has brought 426 runs across 10 Tests, with an average of 23.66.
The earlier return shows that being left out has not previously marked the end of his Test career. It does not establish a timetable for another recall now. Bailey said selectors had not permanently ruled him out, while making clear that the performances they wanted had not arrived.
For Australian supporters, the immediate consequence is a different No.3 under consideration for the home series. For Indian readers watching Australia before its 2027 tour of India, this announcement concerns the New Zealand series. It should not be stretched into a claim that an India touring squad has already been settled.
What happens before the first Test?
Fox Sports reports that selectors intend to choose the Test squad after the next round of Sheffield Shield matches, which begins on Wednesday, 11 November. The first New Zealand Test is scheduled at Perth’s Optus Stadium on 9 December.
The domestic round provides further cricket before that selection, while Labuschagne’s current exclusion is already on record. A strong state performance would be evidence to assess, rather than an automatic reversal of Bailey’s decision.
The Nine report of Bailey’s announcement separates the present omission from a permanent end to his career. Our coverage of Mohammed Shami’s Test retirement concerns a different, expressly announced status. No retirement is being reported for Labuschagne here.
Frequently asked questions
Has Marnus Labuschagne retired from Test cricket?
No retirement is reported here. Bailey said a future return remains possible.
Who will replace Labuschagne at No.3?
The two reports reviewed do not identify an appointed replacement; squad selection is still to follow.