‘My mum was adamant that I was playing’: Marnus Labuschagne shares conversation ahead of concussion sub heroics vs SA | Cricket News
“Always len to your mum,” Marnus Labuschagne tweeted on Friday. This, with regards to a conversation he’d had with his mother ahead of the first of five ODIs against South Africa.
“My mum last night was adamant that I was playing, and I said ‘Mum, I’m not in the team. She just had a feeling, and once again she’s right,” Labuschagne would share post-match on Thursday.
A candid Marnus Labuschagne admits his ODI form had gone “really downhill” and wasn’t surprised a World Cup snub #SAvAUS pic.twitter.com/CaLN6VLz8O
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) September 8, 2023
The Australian batter, who had recently missed out on Australia’s 15-member World Cup squad, wasn’t part of the starting XI on Thursday in Bloemfontein. But with Cameron Green deemed retired hurt in the chase of 223, Labuschagne would be walked in as a concussion substitute. A move that resulted in Australia’s eventual three wicket win against the Proteas as Labuschagne stitched 80 runs off 93 deliveries to guide the five-time ODI champions to a 1-0 lead in the series.
“I guess I’ve just got some weird things that happen around concussion,” he’d admit laughingly post-match.
Not a first
One can’t help but recall the day Marnus Labuschagne announced himself to world cricket. In the Lord’s Test during Ashes 2019, Labuschagne replacing Steve Smith as the concussion sub was the first instance of the same in Test cricket.
Labuschagne would make the most of the opportunity and score a fifty to kickstart what has been a successful Test career for Australia and help the visitors draw the Test.Most Read
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On Thursday, Labuschagne walked in to bat with Australia seven wickets down for 113 and remained unbeaten to stitch a 112-run stand with Ashton Agar.
His recent heroics with the bat may have come a little late though as Australia omitted the 29-year-old in their World Cup squad, which was announced ahead of the first ODI.
“I’ve been disappointed with how I played one day cricket, I felt like I really needed to improve and didn’t have the pressure last night going to bed, nice it all came together,” Labuschagne would say on his ODI career. When asked if he felt there was still hope to make the cut for India, he added, “That’s not my job, whatever happens is out of my control but I’m very happy to get over the line today.”
