In his four previous Test innings, all against Pakistan in the UAE last October, Marnus Labuschagne has batted in the middle-order, between Nos. 5 and 7. When he walks out to bat, perhaps at some stage on Day Two of the fourth Test against India, it will be at No. 3, a position he has occupied for no little time in the Sheffield Shield for Queensland.

Born in Klerksdorp, South Africa and the pronunciation of whose name has been a topic of much mirth in Australia, Labuschagne had a fantastic ringside view of how his India counterpart went about building an innings on Day One. For close on six and a half hours, Cheteshwar Pujara (130 not out) put on a masterclass at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), easing to his 18th Test hundred and his third this series.