Marnus Labuschagne’s Test career is teetering on the brink after another cheap dismissal against Bangladesh at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, prompting former Australia captain Ricky Ponting to call for him to be dropped from the side.

Australia's No. 3 batter was dismissed for just four runs in the first innings of the second Test on Saturday. Labuschagne spent 26 painstaking minutes at the crease, facing nine deliveries, before being bowled by left-armer Shoriful Islam when the ball deflected off his thigh pad into his stumps. A visibly distraught Labuschagne lingered at the wicket and looked back repeatedly at his shattered stumps in disbelief before trudging off.

Ponting Demands Top-Order Regeneration

Labuschagne’s prolonged lean patch has intensified scrutiny over his spot ahead of Australia's upcoming tour to South Africa. The 32-year-old has now failed to score a half-century in his last 10 Test innings, amassing just 170 runs at a meager average of 17.00, and has not scored a Test century since the 2023 Ashes.

Speaking on Channel 7, Ponting urged Australian selectors to finally make a change at the critical No. 3 position.

"I admire what they're trying to do to get him back to his best, but it's been way too long now. I would have made the change at the start of this series," Ponting said. "There's some technical deficiency there, but he's making the margin for error for the bowlers too great. He can't score off the back foot, and if you can't score off the back foot in Test cricket, batting becomes a hard game."

Ponting added: "Bowlers now know they can bowl anywhere from 10 metres to four metres on off stump and as wide as they want, and he can't hurt them. It's well and truly time to have a look at somebody else."

From World No. 1 to the Precipice

The stark slump marks a dramatic fall from grace for Labuschagne, whose career Test average once peaked at 62 during the 2022-23 home summer before sliding to 43.7. In the lead-up to the Mackay Test, Labuschagne was heard reflecting on his difficulties during a net session, muttering: "I make cricket so hard."

Despite head coach and selector Andrew McDonald demanding a decisive "big score" from the batter, Labuschagne was unable to deliver as 18 wickets tumbled on an eventful opening day in Mackay, dominated by seamers Mitchell Starc and Shoriful Islam. With Australia holding a 101-run lead and the match moving at rapid pace, time is quickly running out for Labuschagne to salvage his place in the Australian Test lineup.