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Steve Smith And Labuschagne Injured; 3 Potential Replacements For Australia In 2nd Test

Aashay Chopade∙ Updated: Dec 3 2024, 4:52 PM

Steve Smith And Labuschagne together in a Test match (Source:@ICC/X.com)Steve Smith And Labuschagne together in a Test match (Source:@ICC/X.com)

The excitement around the second Test at the Adelaide Oval is increasing with each passing day. It is a day-night Test which adds another layer of mystery to the proceedings, and ahead of the big game, Australia are facing some injury setbacks. 

Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out, while Mitchell Marsh is also doubtful. In the practice session, both Smith and Labuschagne got hit and needed some medical assistance. However, it seems that they will be fit for the match, but incase they miss out, let's see which are the three players that can replace them.

Josh Inglis

Josh Inglis is the front-runner to take a specialist batter position if one of the two miss out in the second Test. He is already in the squad and was praised by chief selector George Bailey for the consistency he has shown in red-ball cricket in recent times. The wicketkeeper batter just before the Pakistan series scored two hundreds in the Sheffield Shield games which has increased confidence in his red-ball game among the stakeholders of Australian cricket.

Overall, he has scored seven centuries in 57 first-class matches, but the recent form and his growing in stature in international cricket surely makes him a red-hot candidate to fit into the Aussie middle-order.

Sam Konstas

The young batter has got off to a superb start to his first-class career and he was one of the candidates ahead of the start of the series, to take the opening position. Nathan McSweeney pipped him with a good performance for Australia A ahead of Perth Test, but with a century in a practice game against India, Konstas is back in the radar of national selection.

He is yet to make his Test debut, and if there is an injury in the middle order to Smith or Labuschagne, then Nathan McSweeney can move down the order, and Sam Konstas can open for Australia in the pink-ball Test. He showed great temperament and skills in difficult conditions during the practice game and the familiarity of scoring a century against Indian bowlers can help him during his debut.

Beau Webster

The Tasmanian all-rounder was added as back-up for Mitchell Marsh due to his all-round skills and his good performances over the years. In his last first-class game, Webster scored 110 run, scoring 61 and 49 in first and second innings respectively. He also picked five wickets in the game and was also impressive in the second unofficial Test between Australia A and India A.

So, even if Mitchell Marsh is fit, Beau Webster can fit in the middle order in the absence of Smith or Labushcagne. He would also give an extra bowling option to Cummins and with a decade-long experience of playing first-class cricket, he could be a valuable addition to the line-up.