Cricket Discussion | Is Labuschagne set for Australia recall?

Labuschagne boosts Ashes recall hopes with another century

Marnus Labuschagne’s case for a return to Australia’s Test squad for the Ashes received fresh momentum as he recorded his third century in four innings for Queensland.

Author | Peter Jones

Marnus Labuschagne is enjoying a superb run of domestic form 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/uNOpZabwA0

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) October 9, 2025

The 31-year-old top-order batter made 105 from 91 balls in Queensland’s One-Day Cup defeat by Tasmania, following a 160-run effort against the same opponents in the Sheffield Shield just three days earlier.

He had also struck 130 from 118 in Queensland’s One-Day Cup opener against Victoria in September.

Labuschagne, who has 11 centuries in 58 Tests, was left out of Australia’s squad for the July series against the West Indies.

He now faces competition from Travis Head, Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney to reclaim a spot, potentially as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner.

READ MORE | Latest news, stories and discussion points ahead of the 25/26 Ashes series.

Australia omitted Labuschagne from this month’s one-day international series against India, opting to call up top-order batter Matthew Renshaw instead.

The batter has not reached three figures in Tests since July 2023, when he scored 111 against England, and has averaged just 24.74 in the format since. He credits his recent form to returning to the fundamentals of his game.

A closer look at his career so far...

Labuschagne’s rise to the upper ranks of Test batting depended on an unexpected chance. During the Lord’s Test against England in August 2019, Steven Smith was struck by a bouncer and Labuschagne took the field as his concussion substitute, the first instance of its kind in Test history. 

Within months he had surpassed Smith as the leading Test run-scorer in the world for the calendar year and secured Australia’s No. 3 position during a prolific home summer that yielded four centuries in five matches against Pakistan and New Zealand, including a double-century at the SCG.

He has been left out of recent series but these improved performances will surely give a chance of being included in the squad for the pinnacle of Test Cricket.