Labuschagne eyes Test return after Australia omission

Marnus Labuschagne remains confident about returning to Australia's Test side after being omitted from selection for the upcoming home series against New Zealand.

"I've got no doubt I will be back there. When? Who knows," Labuschagne told reporters. 

"I think my path back into the Australian team will work itself out. I've done it before. It's something that I truly want."

Australia's selectors informed the 32-year-old that he would not be considered for the four-match ICC World Test Championship series beginning in December, after a prolonged lean run with the bat that continued during Australia's recent series against South Africa.

Labuschagne's latest setback comes after he managed only 131 runs at an average of 21.83 with a high score of 39 across three Tests in South Africa. His scores of 0 and 4 in the series-decider in Cape Town further extended a difficult period for the right-hander, who has now gone 49 Test innings without a century.

Since his last Test hundred, scored against England at Old Trafford during the 2023 Ashes, Labuschagne has accumulated 1,094 runs at an average of 24.31.

Despite those numbers, the Queensland batter believes he can rediscover the consistency that once made him one of the leading players in the format.

"(Six) scores above 30 in 11 innings is not someone who's not batting well," Labuschagne said.

"It's someone who's making mistakes when they're in, and a lot of those mistakes potentially coming from the pressure of having to keep scoring runs and being on the verge of losing my spot.

"Some of those dismissals (in South Africa) feel like they've come from a lack of clarity on potentially what the team needed and my own personal battle with scoring runs and missing out."

Labuschagne's overall Test record provides a reminder of the quality he has demonstrated throughout his international career. In 68 Tests, he has scored 4,861 runs at an average of 42.64, including 11 centuries and 25 half-centuries. His highest score remains the 215 he made against New Zealand in Perth in 2019.

Labuschagne now finds himself equal 40th in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings. His omission is the second time in 17 months that Labuschagne has been left out of Australia's Test plans. He was previously dropped for the three-Test tour of the West Indies following the ICC World Test Championship Final in June 2025. 

Labuschagne scored 17 and 22 across both innings of the World Test Championship Final and was caught behind by Kyle Verreynne off Marco Jansen on both occasions.

When he was last dropped in 2025, he responded emphatically at the domestic level, producing back-to-back Sheffield Shield centuries of 160 against Tasmania and 159 against South Australia to earn a recall for the opening Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series in Perth.

That experience has given Labuschagne confidence that he can once again make his way back into the Australian setup, although he recognises the importance of concentrating on his immediate responsibilities with Queensland.

"I will use this as an opportunity to step back from the scrutiny and being under the pump for two years now and come back and play for Queensland."

"I'm here to win games for Queensland, and score runs. And if I do that, if I'm playing at my best, I'll find my way back into that team.

"They're the things that I'm pretty confident about."

Australia will kickstart their series against New Zealand with the first Test in Perth from December 9.

Series schedule:

First Test: December 9-13, Perth
Second Test: December 17-21, Adelaide
Third Test: December 26-30, Melbourne
Fourth Test: January 4-8, Sydney