Labuschagne has been in poor form for the last 3 years [Source: AFP]
The unthinkable happened as Bangladesh won their first-ever Test match in Australia. The Tigers came to Australia as underdogs, but the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side created history and strengthened their position in the WTC points table.
Hasan Mahmud ran riot with the ball, and major contributions from Tanzid Hasan and Mehidy Hasan helped the Tigers secure a memorable win as the Australian side crumbled under pressure and struggled on all four days of the Test match.
Barring Steve Smith, none of the Aussie players performed, as the entire team surrendered in front of the Bangladesh side. Several Australian players are already under fire and could lose their place in the red-ball side.
In this article, we take a look at Australian players who can be dropped from the Test team after the defeat vs Bangladesh.
1) Marnus Labuschagne
2023 was the last time Marnus Labuschagne scored a century in Tests, and in the last 3.5 years, he has failed to deliver the goods; with each passing year, his numbers have dropped.
In the Test match against Bangladesh, Labuschagne scored a combined 32 runs and struggled against pace bowling. Since 2023, he hasn’t produced any match-winning performance and the stats reveal the story.
Criterion
Data
Matches
32
Runs scored
1655
Average
30.09
(Marnus Labuschagne Test stats since 2023)
As the data reveals, the Australian number 3 has only scored 1655 runs in 32 Tests, with an average of 30.09. He has been given a longer rope by the Aussie team management, but runs have dried up in the last 3.5 years.
The Queensland batter has failed to rectify his technical mistakes, and perhaps the time has come for the selectors to give him a harsh reality by dropping him from the Test squad.
2) Jake Weatherald
Jake Weatherald was given an opportunity to open alongside Travis Head in The Ashes against England, and six matches later, things have gone downhill for the left-handed batter, and it seems he doesn’t belong on the big stage yet.
Criterion
Data
Matches
6
Runs scored
224
Average
20.36
(Weatherald Test stats)
In six Tests, Weatherald has amassed just 224 runs, with an average of 20.36, and not one significant knock under his belt.
He failed against England and couldn’t do much against the Tigers, and Australia does need a reliable opener like Matthew Hayden and David Warner. Moreover, the left-handed player needs to work on his technique if he has to survive Test match cricket.
3) Nathan Lyon
One of Australia’s greatest servants, but the time has come for Nathan Lyon to call it a day, as the off-break bowler has lost the zip that made him a threat in red-ball cricket.
Against the Bangladesh side, he picked up just a solitary wicket and was played cautiously as the Aussie spinner failed to create a positive impact.
Injuries have also played a part in his downfall, as the spinner was ruled out of The Ashes 2025-26 after just two Tests, and even in those matches, Lyon couldn’t do much as he scalped 5 wickets, with an average of 31.40.
Australia does have quality spinners in their domestic circuit, and the team should slowly replace Lyon with a youngster in the Test team.
Final verdict
After losing the first Test match, Australian players have come under scrutiny, and the selectors could make some harsh calls by dropping the underperformers.
Three players: Labuschagne, Weatherald, and Lyon have become weak links, and the Aussie management could be tempted to drop them from the red-ball side to start their next cycle rebuild.
These three players have not been impressive in the last few Tests/few years, and perhaps the team needs to find an alternative before the next WTC cycle begins.
![Labuschagne has been in poor form for the last 3 years [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1786863849455_Labuschagnehasbeeninpoorformforthelast3years.jpg?type=hq)
Labuschagne has been in poor form for the last 3 years [Source: AFP]
