Smith remains sure of Labuschagne's success in India ODIs

Labuschagne, the current No.3 batsman in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's Test Player Rankings, rose through the ranks in 2019. He played 11 Tests, scoring 1,104 runs at an impressive average of 64.94 last year, and entered 2020 with a bang, scoring his first Test double hundred in the New Year's Test against New Zealand.

His meteoric rise earned him a spot in Australia's ODI side, and all eyes will be on the 25-year-old batsman when he makes his first ODI appearance in the series against India.

"He's got a good head on his shoulders, he's got that belief in himself now that he can do it, now it's about resetting the clock every time he goes out to play," Smith told cricket.com.au. "He's got a really good understanding of how he wants to play and that's a huge thing for a young player.

"To have that understanding and be able to stick to something for a prolonged period of time and trust it's going to work, he's found that method now and I have no doubt he's going to get better."

Smith felt that the biggest challenge for Labuschange would be living up to expectations. "That's the real challenge for him now, having that amazing series, there's going to be that expectation there now and it's about managing that," Smith said.

"The thing I like about Marnus is his willingness to learn and how quickly he picks things up, and if he continues to do that, he's going to be a huge player for Australia for a long time."

Australia will face India in the first ODI on Tuesday, 14 January, at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.