Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne has played down concerns about the finger injury which Marnus Labuschagne sustained during the first Test against Pakistan at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Despite the fiery conditions on the Perth surface, Australia secured a commanding 360-run victory in the series opener.
Marnus Labuschagne has been Australia’s premier batter for quite some time. All eyes will be on David Warner who smashed a barnstorming ton in the 1st innings but later was dismissed for a golden duck. We all know that David Warner has hinted that he would bid adieu to Test cricket after this series.
I have had a lot of finger blows but this felt a bit different- Marnus Labuschagne
As the pitch posed challenges in the latter part of the Test, Australia found themselves at 5-2 in the second innings after Labuschagne fell victim to Khurram Shehzad. The right-handed batter faced a delivery from the debutant that leaped off the surface, hitting him on the finger. Immediate medical attention raised worries about a potential reshuffling of the Australian batting order, potentially paving the way for Cameron Green’s return.
Labuschagne, however, dismissed such concerns, revealing that there was no break in his finger. He explained,
“That’s happened so many times when I’ve been on the bench, so it’s going to have to take something pretty serious I reckon to have me miss. The finger’s fine, there’s no break. It hit me more on the knuckle side and jammed up my hand, so I was a bit nervous out there. I’ve had a lot of finger blows, but this felt a bit different,”
Despite feeling nervous after the blow, Labuschagne reassured reporters that the injury was not severe. Labuschagne even had a hit and found everything to be alright. He described the impact of the ball, saying,
“Overnight it was a little bit sore but Sunday morning was fine. I had a hit and it was all right. It just got me in a bit of an awkward spot. There was no padding on that side of the glove, and it got me sort of underneath and jammed it, so it didn’t feel that good. But I’ve actually got some really good range in it,”
Labuschagne didn’t fare well in the first test, he faced a challenging spell in the second innings, managing only two runs off 18 deliveries. In the first innings, he scored 16 runs off 24 balls before being dismissed by Faheem Ashraf. The cricketer remains optimistic about his condition and availability for the upcoming matches.
It was certainly one of those tough games that you get here at Perth- Marnus Labuschagne
Marnus Labuschagne wasn’t the sole batter enduring physical blows during the Perth Test. Mitchell Marsh, the all-rounder who played a pivotal role with his aggressive batting, also faced challenges, having to change his helmet twice due to multiple blows to his head.
Marnus Labuschagne commented the unusual loose cracks in the pitch caused significant variation in bounce. He said,
“Usually the cracks aren’t so loose, and you don’t get the big discrepancy in bounce,” he said. “Occasionally one hits a crack, but that usually goes way left or way right and it’s not even a concern. But it’s when you get those cross-cracks and the ball hits on the low side, goes down, and then [another] hits up,”
“So I don’t think it was reaching that [dangerous] stage, but was certainly one of those tough games that you get here at Perth,” Labuschagne concluded.
Labuschagne finds himself in a challenging period of form lately. In 23 Test innings in 2023, he has accumulated 736 runs at an average of 35.05. Despite the recent struggles, Labuschagne remains a determined presence in the team, aiming to overcome challenges and do well in upcoming matches.