Steve Smith Supports Struggling Teammate Marnus Labuschagne

Series sweep! Aussies dominate Sri Lanka | 03:21

Steve Smith has predicted that runs are “just around the corner” for the struggling Marnus Labuschagne, with the Australian stand-in captain referencing his own resurgence with the willow while defending his teammate.

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Australia sealed a 2-0 Warne–Muralitharan Trophy whitewash over Sri Lanka after defeating the hosts by nine wickets in Galle on Sunday, the team’s first Test series victory in the Asian nation since 2011.

Smith was named player of the series after compiling twin hundreds, accumulating 272 runs at 136.00 to continue his stunning Test renaissance. After going nearly 17 months without a Test century, the New South Welshman has struck four hundreds in five matches to vanquish any speculation that he was past his prime.

Smith never felt as though his batting had regressed during the century drought, but the 35-year-old acknowledged the Sri Lanka series could have panned out differently if not for a fortuitous moment early in the first Test, when spinner Prabath Jayasuriya dropped a return chance with him on 1.

“Even when I wasn’t getting the runs I wanted, I was still saying to all you guys that I was actually batting quite nicely,” Smith told reporters during Sunday’s post-match press conference.

“Things can turn around quickly, a bit of luck, first innings in the first Test here I got dropped on one and then went on to make it count. Another day I get caught and we’re not having the same conversation.

“As soon as you get that one good score, you get a bit of a read on some bowlers that you’re facing and you just feel a bit more comfortable. That for me was the Gabba I suppose, to get a big one there I started to feel comfortable, facing a lot of balls and getting a bit of rhythm.

“Other than that I can’t really put it down to anything other than having faith in what I was doing in practice and trusting it and knowing the game ebbs and flows. You can have days where the luck’s not on your side, but then you have a bit of luck and then you’ve got to make the most of it.”

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Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on Labuschagne after the Australian No. 3’s measly returns against Sri Lanka, contributing 50 runs at 25.00 across the series. The Queenslander cracked an unbeaten 26 in Galle on Sunday to help Australia chase down the modest 75-run target for victory.

During the current World Test Championship cycle, Labuschagne has accumulated 935 runs at 28.33, with one century in 36 knocks. The 30-year-old has made some valuable contributions across that period – most notably his gritty Ashes hundred at Old Trafford in 2023 – but with the looming return of Cameron Green, he could be fighting to keep his spot in the starting XI for June’s World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s.

However, Smith was adamant Labuschagne’s fortunes would turn just as they did for him.

“Marn’s similar to me in a way,” Smith continued.

“Throughout the summer I think he’s actually batting quite nicely and there’s a difference between being out of form and out of runs, and I’ve seen Marnus do it, we know he can do it.

“I don’t think he’s out of form personally. I’ve watched him train and watched him play and a lot of the things he’s done so well are there. Things can turn around pretty quickly. He’d love to score more runs and we’d love him to score more runs, but in my opinion it’s just around the corner.”

Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne. Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFPSource: AFP

Elsewhere, Smith confessed he didn’t know when young all-rounder Cooper Connolly would get another chance to don the baggy green after his underwhelming Test debut in Galle.

The West Australian produced five wicketless overs with the ball and notched 4 during his lone knock, dismissed after attempting a reckless slog against spinner Nishan Peiris.

“We saw in this game we wanted some extra batting and a guy who could bowl a few overs and I perhaps could have used him a few more overs throughout, but a lot of the bowlers did a really good job too,” Smith explained.

“He’s a talented young kid, he’s got a really bright future, everywhere he’s played so far he’s stood up and done a good job. It was a pretty tricky time to come out and bat in the first innings, he was trying to be quite aggressive and get that lead as high as we could.”

Australia’s attention turns to the white-ball fixtures, with the first ODI against Sri Lanka getting underway at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday at 3pm AEDT.