Overview

• After four centuries in six innings across Shield and List A games, including 159 in Adelaide, Marnus Labuschagne earned an ODI recall and credited a mental reset and simplified technique for his surge.
• Labuschagne arrived late in Perth after Shield duties and was not selected for the ODI series opener, and he said he will bat wherever picked for the Ashes.
• The ABC reports Cummins could miss at least the first Test, sharpening focus on form quicks such as Scott Boland, who claimed 5-67 in Victoria’s win and was praised as “elite.”
• Spin depth was highlighted by Todd Murphy’s decisive 3-17 spell for Victoria and a career-best 6-109 from Queensland legspinner Mitchel Swepson.
• Top-order questions persist as Sam Konstas answered scrutiny with a timely 53 and Jake Weatherald strengthened his case with a match-shaping 94 for Tasmania.