Marnus Labuschagne's 5 funniest on-field moments
Marnus Labuschagne's journey as one of the top-most batters in world cricket has been a meteoric one. The South African-born moved to Queensland during his childhood and since then, has been plying his trade in Australia.
While his Test debut came in 2018, it was the following year that saw the world take note of his caliber. Coming in as a concussion substitute for Steve Smith at Lord's, Labuschagne weathered a storm called Jofra Archer and bailed Australia out to a draw in the second Ashes Test.
Since then, the right-hander has conquered the summit of the ICC Player Rankings in Test cricket, scoring six centuries along the way. It doesn't stop there though, as some of his amusing idiosyncracies on the field have earned him a cult fan following across the globe.
As Labuschagne turns 28 today, we take a look at five of his funniest moments on the cricket field.
#5 "What did you do in quarantine?" - Marnus Labuschagne quizzes Rohit Sharma
The Sydney Test of 2021 saw Rohit Sharma return to the Indian setup, having arrived late due to an injury. The star Indian batter had to serve a two-week quarantine period before linking up with the squad and Labuschagne was very keen to find out his quarantine routine.
"What did you do in quarantine?"
Fielding with the helmet on at short leg, the Aussie was curious to extract an answer from Rohit. But the current Indian captain kept mum and paid no heed to the same.
Soon after, he posed a question to Shubman Gill, asking him who is favorite player was. An amused Gill replied:
"I'll tell you after (the ball)".
Labuschagne had a follow-up question ready though, asking if it was Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli. What remains a mystery though is whether he ever got his answer or not.
.@marnus3cricket was enjoying being back under the helmet for the Aussies! #AUSvIND https://t.co/GaCWPkTthl
#4 "Garry here please!"
Oh Labuschagne, if only Nathan Lyon was interested in tossing the ball over to you! Yet another amusing incident involving the birthday boy and this one too, dates to the same Sydney Test against India.
Rohit blocked a Josh Hazlewood delivery towards point where the ace off-spinner was stationed. Labuschagne backed up from forward short leg and pleaded with Lyon to toss the ball over to him as he collected it.
Lyon, though, had other ideas - he decided that skipper Tim Paine's gloves were far safer and turned a deaf ear to the Queenslander's request. The latter was left gobsmacked and bewildered at the end of it, sending the commentary team into a fit of laughter again.
#3 "Yeah well played Marn!"
Ducking a hostile Ben Stokes bouncer sure deserves some praise when you stave it off well enough. Labuschagne took matters into his own hands though and indulged in a bit of self-appraisal.
The opening day of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide in 2021-22 saw the maverick England all-rounder run in at full throttle and pound one into the surface. Having ducked beneath it on time, Australia's No. 3 made it pretty evident that he played it out pretty well.
🎙🎙🎙
#Ashes https://t.co/KNGhibosE5
A nod towards the bowler and a tap on his own shoulder followed soon after, as Labuschagne went on to notch up a gritty hundred.
#2 "Catch it! Catch it!"
Labuschagne is undoubtedly one of the most passionate players to have taken up the sport, duly acknowledged by his teammates who dub him a massive "cricket nuffy". He gave a good account of the same during a Big Bash League (BBL) game with the ball in hand.
Representing the Brisbane Heat in the Eliminator of the 2020-21 season against the Adelaide Strikers, the leggie turned in a match-winning spell. Through each of his three wickets, a mic'd up Labuschagne's eccentric roar of elation was captured on camera.
A screamer from Ben Laughlin sent decibel levels soaring through the roof with Labuschagne going on a celebratory sprint. Quite the entertainer, alright!
#1 "No Run!"
You read that in the unmissable voice of Labuschagne, didn't you? Perhaps the most amusing idiosyncrasy of the birthday lad has been his eccentric leaves, matching a certain Steve Smith quite often.
Whether he defends the ball or offers no shot, if there's no run on offer, it will be made evident to all and sundry if Labuschagne is the batter in question. He has made a habit of it quite often and it might have caught up with the world with many a batter bellowing a loud cry of "no run" whenever it's not on the cards.
NO RUN! Marnus Labuschagne was VERY animated in the middle on day two in Adelaide #AUSvIND https://t.co/Fz1Wqf5yG6
When quizzed about his animated quirks after almost every delivery during the Adelaide Test of 2020 against India, Labuschagne remarked that it was a means of getting into the contest.
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