The rebuild is on as Labuschagne makes shaky return to Shield cricket

Marnus Labuschagne's return to first-class cricket following his axing from the Test team lasted 36 balls for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield on Wednesday.

Labuschagne made 12 runs before nicking off to Tasmania's Jake Doran off the bowling of Riley Meredith.

The 32-year-old's dismissal looked similar to so many of his recent failings at Test level, prodding on fourth stump without a hint of foot movement.

Ordinarily Sheffield Shield games retain some semblance of importance for Test players searching for form ahead of The Summer of Cricket.

Uniquely for Queensland's captain, this match means nothing — at least in the short-term.

He's already been flung on the Test scrap heap, a dire run of form eventually hastening his demise from an Australian Test team that crushed England in last year's Ashes, but has won just two of its last five Tests against Bangladesh and South Africa, without claiming a series victory.

Spectators didn't mind that though, and more than a handful had turned out to show support to their beleaguered skipper.

Those who arrived on time had to wait an hour and 20 minutes before Labuschagne came to the crease after Angus Lovell (18 off 60 balls) edged Beau Webster into the slips. The opener furiously smacked his bat after doing so much of the hard work on a pitch that offered plenty of zip.

Labuschagne's arrival was greeted with warm applause, the clapping briefly drowning out the incessant jackhammering of the building sites around the Gabba.

"Come on Marnus," one punter among the hundred or so faithful called out as he took his mark.

Labuschagne wasted no time in getting into the thick of the action, crushing a square drive for four off the very first ball he faced from former Test teammate Webster.

A streaky edge past third slip off the bowling of Jackson Bird though, reiterated that Labuschagne's rebuild could be a process as drawn out as the redevelopment around the ground.

As good as his opening salvo was, the idiosyncrasies that all too often verged towards idiocies during his faltering stays in the middle during Test matches, were still there.

There was a wave of his hands here, a period of shadow-batting there that were as prevalent at the Gabba as they were in Gqeberha, where he scored 14 and 39 in Australia's innings defeat.

As Bell got closer to the off-stump, Labuschagne's leaves became ever more flamboyant, a batting matador daring the bull to crash into his stumps.

He lasted until lunch, walking off with eight runs to his name.

His demise came soon after the break when edged a delivery he didn't need to play at into the gloves of the keeper.

Labuschagne waited a moment at the crease, miffed at his dismissal, before trudging off.

Fortunately for him, it was far from a bumper day of scores around the country.

Sam Konstas scored 24 and Kurtis Patterson a duck for New South Wales as they were bundled out for 204 against South Australia, while Marcus Harris managed just 15 on an MCG pitch that looked good for batting, given Peter Handscomb's century for Victoria.

It is far too soon after his return from South Africa to rectify any wrongs in his technique or banish the demons residing within his head.

As much as the hammering taking place outside the Gabba, the work to build Labuschagne back into a principle Test batter will take time.