Marnus Labuschagne talks opening role as Australia prepares for series against India

Marnus Labuschagne has shared his thoughts on the competition for the opening position in Australia’s Test team. He believes that the selectors will likely choose a specialist opener for the upcoming series against India. 

Labuschagne's comments come after Steven Smith confirmed he would return to his regular No. 4 spot. Smith had been experimenting with the opening role but stated that both Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja preferred him batting behind them. 

"They hated me up top...so that was a big part of it," Smith said. "They call it security behind them...I can understand that."

Labuschagne thinks it makes sense for Smith to return to No. 4. He said, "One of the best players for Australia batting in the position he has had the most success in is a pretty simple fix." With Cameron Green unavailable for the summer, Labuschagne sees Smith as the best option for the No. 4 position, as there is no current player filling that spot effectively. 

"People want to know if there is something more [to it], but that is the reality," Labuschagne added. He praised Smith's ability to read match situations and adapt his game, which is essential for a No. 4 batsman.

Labuschagne also had a lighthearted response to David Warner’s suggestion of returning from retirement to open the batting. "I don't know if he was serious or whether he was joking. It is always hard to tell," he said with a chuckle.

Warner had also mentioned the idea of Labuschagne moving up the order, but Labuschagne clarified, "I will bat wherever they tell me to bat. Currently I would say that how I have played at No. 3 has been relatively successful." He acknowledged that it’s up to the selectors to decide on the opener, but he noted that the field is wide open.

Three players are in contention for the opening position: New South Wales teenager Sam Konstas, Victorian opener Marcus Harris, and Western Australia’s Cameron Bancroft. All of them will play for Australia A against India A next week as they vie for a spot on the Test team.