Steve Smith or Marnus Labuschagne, the better Test batter

Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne (Source: OneCricket)

Australia are currently playing against West Indies in the second Test of a two-match series in Australia. Batting first in the match at Adelaide, Marnus Labuschagne has marched past another century (112* at the time of writing)  after a stellar performance in the first Test. 

Steve Smith, who also had a great time in the previous match, was dismissed for a seven-ball duck in this match, but his consistency and performance across the globe have brought him on the same pedestal as some of the greats to have ever graced the game. 

However, in the current picture, there are talks that Labuschagne might go ahead and overtake the legacy of Smith in the near future. 

So, is Marnus a better player than Smith already or is it too big a claim? 

I will take you through a five-point statistical comparison and put forward my opinion on the question. The facts will be there for you to decide the rest. 

1. Career Comparison

Let us have a look at the Test career of these two players.

Test career comparison of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne 

In the comparison:

RPI- Runs Per Innings

IP100 - Innings Per 100

IP50+ Score - Innings Per 50 plus score

As the figure suggests, the Queenslander is ahead of Steve Smith in the case of the numbers that matter in his yet short career span. 

2. Performance in Home Conditions

Now in the case of their performances in Home conditions, let us have a look at their numbers. 

Steve Smith vs Marnus Labuschagne in Australia

If we see Smith and Labuschagne's performance in Australian conditions, then also Labuschagne is way ahead of the experienced-pro. Thus, the battle so far belongs to Labuschagne. 

3. Performance in Asian conditions

Asian conditions are considered the toughest for Australian batters as they are generally not considered good players of spin. In this point, we will look at the performances of the two players in challenging conditions for the Aussies. 

Steve Smith vs Marnus Labuschagne in Asia

In Asian conditions, which are relatively tougher for the Australian batters, the New South Wales batter is a better performer than the young-gun. 

4. Performance in England

The rivalry between Australia and England is one of the fiercest in the cricketing world. Hence, we will compare how these two players have done in the home of their arch-rivals.

Steve Smith vs Marnus Labuschagne in England

As far as performances on English soil are considered, Steve Smith is ahead of Marnus Labuschagne and thus the fight is now equal between the two Aussies at two each. 

5. Performance in the 4th Innings of a Test

The fourth innings of a Test is considered the most difficult innings for the batters. The pressure on the batters in the last innings of a Test match is the most. So, let us have a look at the performance of the two players in the last innings of a Test match. 

Steve Smith vs Marnus Labuschagne in England

If we see their performances in England, then we can see that Smith is ahead. So the battle here goes to Steve Smith with a margin of 3-2. 

Conclusion 

Even if we leave the stats behind, Steve Smith has proved himself as a Test batter in various pressure situations and across the globe. On the other hand, Marnus Labuschagne still has a long way to go before he could even be compared to Smith in terms of skill and temperament.  

In my opinion, Smith is way ahead of Labuschagne at present, but the latter's journey will be an interesting tale to keep an eye on.

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