The second Test against India starts in Adelaide with Australia 1-0 down in the series and ready to pounce on the unsuspecting visitors. With India strengthening their already formidable squad with a couple of key inclusions, Australia have opted for much the same powerful XI . After their loss in Perth it would have been easy enough to hit the panic button, but selector George Bailey and coach Andrew McDonald know that form is temporary and class is undroppable.

The only change Australia have made follows the injury to fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. Professional high viz vest model Scott Boland gets his chance to strengthen the lower batting order, as well as roll his arm over ahead of new allrounder Marnus Labuschagne. With nominal allrounder and reigning AB Medallist Mitchell Marsh struggling to bowl, Labuschagne is ready to step up as the vital fourth seamer. He is also on standby to take the gloves should anything happen to Alex Carey, the captaincy should anything happen to Pat Cummins and the clipboard should McDonald not be able to perform his invaluable services. Labuschagne was seen recently studying for his umpiring ticket, although he was believed to be struggling with the captain’s review section of the law book.

It is precisely this willingness to contribute in any way possible that has forged this impenetrable unit of cricketing supremacy. Do you need your No. 3 batsman to score runs? Sure, that would be nice, but if he can jag a wicket or two off the long run, he is still contributing to the cause. Similarly it is always optimal for your allrounder to be able to both bat and bowl, but Marsh is such a loveable character, always ready to knock up a mediocre score, that it has become impossible to leave him out.

It is a pattern of selection obstinance that thousands of aspiring cricketers across the country can only admire. The knowledge that if you are deemed worthy of a baggy green cap, and take your opportunity with both hands, the position is yours until you retire to the commentary team. No other industry offers such job security, no other industry is so willing to overlook performance.

Skipper and environmental crusader Pat Cummins is hoping to see more from the bat of Labuschagne in Adelaide.

“He’s training well like he always does, hitting millions of balls,” Cummins said.

“It’s pretty impossible to kind of dismiss or ignore some of the commentary about perhaps being a little bit more proactive, so I think you’ve seen that side of it in the nets. The challenge is always going out there and making sure you have that mindset. But he’s been great like he always is. Always working on things, trying to plan how he’s going to score his hundred this Test.”

Nathan McSweeney was brought into the side to open the batting in the first Test, despite not being a regular opening batsman. Up against one of the world’s greatest fast bowlers he was able to eek out a stoic return of 10 runs in the first innings, just under 10% of Australia’s total. It was such a promising effort that he was promoted to face the first delivery of a fired up Jasprit Bumrah’s second innings opening over. With veteran Usman Khawaja leaning on his bat at the safe end, McSweeney was unable to add to his fledgling Test career total. With the captain, coach and selectors behind him, he will step out again in Adelaide safe in the knowledge that shoehorning him into David Warner’s impressive boots was absolutely the correct thing to do. He will have at least until the Border-Gavaskar trophy is lost to prove that opening the batting is a skill anyone can acquire and that a Test against the world’s best is as good a place to do it as any.

Both McSweeney and Khawaja can relax and play their natural games, reassured that Australia’s best allrounder has them covered. And should they struggle with the pressure of being first in, Labuschagne is more than willing to take on that role as well.