"It will be great to have David Warner back for the third Test" - Marnus Labuschagne
Australian star batsman Marnus Labuschagne believes opener David Warner's comeback in the playing XI for the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) will be highly beneficial for the hosts.
The 26-year-old feels Warner will not only provide solidity at the top of the order for the Aussies, but he will also bring in his vibrant energy to boost their morale.
In a recent online interaction, Marnus Labuschagne explained how the 34-year-old's availability for the third Test will bode well for the hosts.
"He's (David Warner) a big inclusion for us if he does come back in. He's someone with over 7000 Test runs and averaging near-on 50, he's a superb player. He's in that top calibre of players and his energy around the group and in the field will be terrific. It will be great to have him,"Marnus Labuschagne said.
In the 84 Tests that Warner has represented Australia, he has scored 7244 runs at a brilliant average of 48.94, and the southpaw even has 24 hundreds to his name. His absence has been dearly felt by the hosts, as apart from makeshift opener Matthew Wade, all the other batsmen have looked short on confidence.
Scoring runs is always hard work with two world-class bowling attacks: Marnus Labuschagne
The Australian batting has struggled to put runs on the board in the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy so far, reaching the 200-run mark only once. However, the SCG pitch has always been good for batting, something which will give their batsmen confidence.
Marnus Labuschagne registered his highest Test score of 215 against New Zealand on this very ground last summer. However, given the world-class bowling attack of both India and Australia, he reckons runs will undoubtedly be hard to come by.
"It's a beautiful venue to bat at and it has been, at times, quite batting-friendly. But with two world-class bowling attacks, it's always hard work; it doesn't matter what the wicket is like," Marnus Labuschagne asserted.
The third Test between India and Australia will be played at the SCG from January 7. After making a roaring comeback into the series through an eight-wicket win at Melbourne, the visitors will be high on confidence.
The hosts, on the other hand, have some serious questions about their batting to ponder upon. Will they be able to put up a better show with the bat at Sydney? Will Warner be fully fit in time to be available for the third Test? Only time will tell.