Australia v Pakistan: Marnus Labuschagne maiden Test century highlights, video
It was a century 25 years in the making, completed in front of an adoring home crowd – but there was one notable absentee to witness Marnus Labuschagne’s brilliant breakthrough century.
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Marnus Labuschagne’s heartbroken mother was halfway around the world as Australia’s baggy green hero struck his maiden century at the Gabba.
Queensland’s Labuschagne scored his breakthrough Test ton in front of a raucous home crowd on Saturday as Australia inflicted more pain on Pakistan.
The South African-born batsman kissed the Australian emblem on his helmet and pointed his bat to father Andre in the crowd.
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But his mother, Alte, was more than 11,000km away in South Africa attending the wedding of her niece.
Andre Labuschagne told The Sunday Mail his wife was glued to the television screen through the early hours of the morning in South Africa.
“They have been up the whole night watching it and we’ve been talking the whole time,” he said.
“All of the family has been watching over there. They will be ecstatic.
“She would be heartbroken not being here. She’d love to be here, but that’s just life.
“It’s just an amazing experience.”
The Labuschagne parents are regular spectators at the Gabba, even when their son is playing in front of only a few hundred cricket tragics for Queensland.
They moved to Australia when Marnus was a 10-year-old who couldn’t speak a word of English for Andre to take up a job opportunity in the mining industry.
Now 25, Labuschagne is a fixture in Australia’s Test team following a sensational Ashes campaign and Saturday’s breakthrough 185.
It took Labuschagne 10 Test matches to reach triple figures for the first time and it didn’t come without drama after he was given out lbw when on 93, only for the third umpire to overturn the decision.
“I was nervous for the last 10 runs,” Andre said.
“He started really well but the last 10 runs took a while. It was a nervous time.
“It was just a work opportunity for me to come over and the family to experience something different. That’s how we made the decision to come over.
“Fifteen years later and we’re having a lot of fun.”
Labuschagne’s wife Rebekah was also at the Gabba while his sister Ame raced to the ground after he reached 100.
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