London, Nov. 14 -- Former England cricketer Mark Butcher has backed Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne to bat at number three over all-rounder Cameron Green, saying that he has quietened his doubters and the latter is yet to prove himself as a viable one-down option.

Before the opening Perth Test starts a week from now, a massive topic of debate will be the number three spot: whether Labuschagne will get his reward for the domestic grind or whether the Aussies will look at Green, who has also started to bowl, as a long-term number three option. So far in the Sheffield Shield, Labuschagne has emerged as a top-run-getter, with 402 runs in four matches at an average of 67.00, with two centuries and a fifty in six innings.

Speaking on the...