Ashes 2019: Bulletproof substitute Marnus Labuschagne moves from fill-in to shoo-in
He made the team as a fill-in. Now accidental hero Marnus Labuschagne may be a Test shoo-in.
He took two blows to the body, including one where it really hurts, and just kept batting.
Marnus Labuschagne may be in the Test team only because Steve Smith isn’t, but after a defiant innings of 74, he’s going to be impossible to dislodge.
Last week at Lord’s the Queenslander came in after a tap on the shoulder from captain Tim Paine during a morning net session informed him he’d be Test cricket’s fist concussion sub.
Labuschagne made a controlled 59 to help guide Australia to a draw, an innings which cemented his place for Headingley when Smith was ruled out.
Then again in Leeds, Labuschagne had to come to Australia’s rescue, this time with the score 2-25, and the English bowling at its unplayable best.
His 111-run partnership with David Warner steadied a sinking ship, if only until their partnership ended.
But Labuschagne’s effort, which included 17 scoreless balls to start, cemented in Warner’s mind that the fill-in was now a shoo-in for the next Test in Manchester.
“I thought he was outstanding today, his discipline was outstanding,” Warner said.
“He’s just taken the bull by its horns, he’s got that opportunity and he’s working his backside off to reinstate himself into the Test arena and he is doing himself every favour by hanging in and batting the way he is.
“So obviously it wasn’t ideal that Steve couldn’t play but he got another opportunity to come out and play.
“He has a lot of fight in him.”
Labuschagne is only playing his seventh Test, but has displayed a level of comfort which belies his inexperience.
Before the Test began, he was giving batting advice to Nathan Lyon in the nets.
And even amid the Headingley maelstrom, it was his positivity that kept Warner going.
“We talked our way through our innings out there,” Warner said.
“We rebounded a lot of positive comments and he kept telling me about being disciplined and making sure I’m holding my shape which was great getting reassurance from a youngster.
“He’s a fantastic player and he has got a lot to offer and we have seen it first hand there.”
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