Australia v India LIVE: Australia on top of India between rain breaks in Perth

Marnus Labuschagne flew into Perth late on Saturday night after an ODI call-up to replace Cameron Green, but it is his place in Australia’s Ashes plan that is of most interest.

Labuschagne made some interesting comments on Fox Cricket during a great chat with Kath Loughnan.

Opener or No.3? What’s his preference if given the nod for Australia? (Mark Waugh believes he’s a “certainty”).

“Wherever the selectors and the coach put me, that’s where I will be batting,” he said. “I’ve batted my whole career for Australia at No.3, so yeah, there’s nothing more to be said.”

Read into that what you like. It certainly doesn’t scream ‘I want to open’. Quick fact check there. Labuschagne has actually batted in every position in the Australian order from No.1 to No.7.

However, 89 of his 104 innings have been at No.3 (3956 runs at 48.83). He also opened in the World Test Championship final this year.

Labuschagne’s last six scores for Queensland (both formats): 130, 2, 160, 105, 159 and 18.

“It’s always nice when you’re scoring runs. I just wanted to be playing cricket the way I wanted and play with that freedom.

“It was probably more mental. There are a few technical things I’ve ironed out. It was more getting probably too deep into my technique and trying to be too perfect instead of playing with what I’ve got.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to get out of your own mind and just get back out there and score runs. Coming into this summer, runs was going to be the currency.

“That was probably the big focus point - it doesn’t matter how you score them or what it looks like. Find a way to score runs.

“It’s probably a nice reminder after struggling for a couple of years that you’ve still got it and it doesn’t matter how many runs you’ve scored, when you don’t score runs for a while, those doubts creep in.”

Twelve balls after the previous rain delay, the umpires have called for the covers again.

India are 3-37 from 11.5 overs.

While the rain falls, well worth taking a look at Tom Decent’s superb interview with Nic Maddinson about the former Australian batter’s battle with testicular cancer this year.

After about seven weeks, came the words he didn’t want to hear: “The cancer has spread.”

“Once I found out I had to have chemo, that was pretty hard to deal with,” he says. “It had spread to parts of my abdominal lymph nodes and lung. That was a bit where it was pretty daunting. Bianca was the one asking all the questions. It was a bit of a blur. I’m glad she was there.

“I’m in awe of how strong and supportive she was through everything. She even quit her job as a dentist the day we found out I needed chemo.

“She took on literally everything at home, so I could rest when I needed, all while pregnant and struggling with her own sleep and looking after two dogs and a toddler.

“There were definitely days when it broke me mentally having to get up and go to hospital, and she helped me push through.

“She wanted to sit with me, all day every day, but I felt guilty for wasting her days, so she only came in a handful of times.

“Imagine if I hadn’t gone to the doctor.”

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