Marnus Labuschagne parts ways with the iconic bat with which he scored unbeaten fifty in 2023 ODI World Cup Final
Close to nine months after Australia's iconic 2023 ODI World Cup triumph, Marnus Labuschagne announced that he is parting ways with the bat that fetched him an unbeaten fifty in the final. The 30-year-old said the bat was extensively damaged.
Labuschagne was one of the unsung heroes in Australia's World Cup victory. The batter played some impactful knocks in the middle order over the course of the tournament and made his presence felt with his electric fielding as well.
His biggest contribution came in the form of a priceless half-century in the tense final against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Labuschagne came into bat when Australia were 47-3 in the powerplay while chasing 241.
The in-form Indian seamers were rampant and were probably one breakthrough away from walking away with the game. However, Labuschagne proved to be the perfect ally for Travis Head (137) to keep the Indian bowlers at bay.
The right-handed batter ended up scoring an unbeaten 58 off 110 deliveries, survivin and blocking away Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami's searing deliveries, and Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav's spin bowling.
On Monday, August 12, Marnus Labuschagne took to X to share the photos of his damaged bat and wrote:
"Think it’s finally time to retire the World Cup final bat."
The willow could be auctioned off, considering it led to one of Australia's greatest triumphs in modern-day cricket.
"My job in that scenario was to come out and calm the situation down" - Marnus Labuschagne on his innings in the 2023 ODI World Cup final
Labuschagne's fifty in the final included only four boundaries as his primary task was to hold down one end while Head went berserk from the other. The right-handed batter survived a close LBW call in the 28th over of the innings as he received a yorker from Jasprit Bumrah.
"My job in that scenario was to come out and calm the situation down, just absorb some pressure, sort of just keep soaking up some pressure and start building a partnership," Labuschagne told The Telegraph India in an interview after the World Cup success.
Marnus Labuschagne was recently seen playing for Glamorgan in the English County Season. He is set for another trip to England, with Australia set to tour their rivals for a white ball series.