Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from Australia's Test team for the series against New Zealand, with selection chair George Bailey confirming the out-of-form No. 3 will not be considered for the first Test in Perth from 9 December — or for the series as a whole. It is the second time in 17 months that the 32-year-old has lost his place, and this time the numbers leave the selectors with little room for argument.
Bailey confirms the call
Bailey told media on Sunday, 9 November, that the selectors had decided to give Labuschagne some space and to end the speculation around his place while they work through the next round of Sheffield Shield cricket.
"At this stage we won't be considering Marn for selection for certainly that first Test, but for the New Zealand series."
Bailey said the decision was made as much for Labuschagne as for the team, so that the conjecture about his place would not hang over him for the next week or so while the squad is finalised. Labuschagne will go back and captain Queensland in the Sheffield Shield.
The numbers behind the decision
Labuschagne's slide has been steep, and it stretches back further than one bad series:
Last Test century: the 2023 Ashes — he has now gone 49 innings without a hundred.
Since his recall: after being dropped for Australia's three-Test series in the West Indies last year, he has averaged 23.66 in 10 Tests, with two fifties from 19 innings.
South Africa series: in the final Test last month he scored 0 and 4, having not reached 40 in the first two Tests.
Career average: down from 60.82 after 30 Tests to 42.64 after 68.
The peak: between November 2019 and December 2022 he hit 10 hundreds in 36 innings and rose to No. 1 in the ICC Test batting rankings, forming a formidable middle-order partnership with Steve Smith.
A way back — and Smith's return
Bailey was clear that the door is not closed on Labuschagne, even as soon as next year's Test series in India and England.
"It's still possible, absolutely."
He added that no player is ever ruled out permanently, and that Labuschagne has missed promising starts — in Darwin and in South Africa — without going on to the big score the team has wanted from him for some time.
With Labuschagne out, attention turns to who takes the No. 3 spot. Steve Smith's return is likely to be the first piece of the puzzle after he missed the decider in Cape Town with a neck injury. The rest of the squad will be picked at the end of the next round of Sheffield Shield, which begins on Wednesday, and Bailey said a handful of players are well placed at the moment.
Australia v New Zealand Tests 2026-27
First Test: 9–13 December, Perth Stadium, 1:20pm AEDT
Second Test: 17–21 December, Adelaide Oval, 11:30am AEDT
Third Test: 26–30 December, MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT
Fourth Test: 4–8 January, SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT
What it means
For a player who once averaged over 60 and topped the world rankings, this is a sobering moment — but it is also a familiar one. Labuschagne was dropped in the Caribbean last year and fought his way back. This time the selectors have been explicit that the break is for the whole New Zealand series, and the message is that runs in the Sheffield Shield, not reputation, will decide when — or whether — he returns.
For Australia, the home summer now starts with a genuine selection debate at No. 3, and the Shield round starting on Wednesday suddenly carries a lot more weight.
Also on CricVic: Josh Tongue ruled out of England's ODI series in Australia with a toe injury — https://cricvic.com/blog/josh-tongue-ruled-out-england-odi-series-australia-toe-injury
Also on CricVic: Men's Cricket Schedule: November 8–30, 2026 — https://cricvic.com/blog/mens-cricket-schedule-november-8-30-2026
Source: Cricket Australia — Labuschagne dropped for Tests against New Zealand — https://www.cricket.com.au/news/4606602/marnus-labuschagne-loses-place-dropped-axes-tests-against-new-zealand-australia-selectors-george-bailey