"He can find ways to have success regardless of how he plays" - Marnus Labuschagne on Steve Smith

Australia's number three Marnus Labuschagne warned of Steve Smith's hunger ahead of the 2023 Ashes series. The right-hander stated that he has learned from Smith the ability to assess the situation and thrive no matter what.

Although Smith made 30 and 3 in his first two innings for Sussex at the County Championship division two, he returned to form with an unbeaten 68 against Glamorgan. The 33-year-old was in spectacular form during the 2019 Ashes, plundering 774 runs from four Tests at 110.54.

Labuschagne, part of Glamorgan in the County Championship, said Smith can be successful regardless of his technique. As quoted by The Age, he called:

"If you look at how he batted this summer against the West Indies and South Africa, compared to how he batted in the Ashes in 2019, they’re two polar opposite methods of batting. He has that freakish ability that he can find ways to have success regardless of how he plays. And that strength comes from the ability to recognise the situation, and being able to actually trust his game to just do it and play that way."

The 28-year-old also observed that the New South Wales is also highly flexible in his approach and can adapt quickly against any type of bowler. He added:

"I think his main strength is his ability to assess the situation and come up with a solution. That’s one of the major things that I’ve learned from him. He doesn’t just bat a certain way. If he feels like someone’s trying to do a certain thing, he then tries to combat that with his technique and the way he bats, sometimes a grip change, sometimes a stance. When you look over his career, Steve Smith has got so many different ways that he’s batted and had success."

The former Aussie captain had a modest series earlier this year against India, managing only 145 runs in four Tests at 29 with a high score of 38.

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"It’s a massive blow from an England perspective" - Marnus Labuschagne on Jofra Archer's injury

Marnus Labuschagne. (Credits: Twitter)

Reacting to Jofra Archer's absence from the entire English summer, Marnus Labuschagne admitted that he senses the Barbadian will struggle to play due to the injuries. He added:

"I never really considered that he was going to play, with his injuries. It’s a massive blow from an England perspective. Jofra Archer is a phenomenal player. Everyone knows is that he can bowl fast, but I think what doesn’t get talked enough about as is his actual skill and his ability to swing and seam the ball.”

Archer rattled the Australians during the 2019 Ashes series, especially with his lethal short-pitched deliveries, and took 22 scalps in four Tests.