Just a few weeks ago, Marnus Labuschagne was branded a cricketer fighting for his future.
Once considered one of the best batsmen in the world, Labuschagne hadn’t scored a century since the 2023 Ashes, and he looked a shadow of his former self, especially against an Indian attack spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah.
Fast forward to now, and the enigmatic Queenslander stands as Australia’s saviour – the again immovable batsman who withstood a Bumrah onslaught to lay the platform for a famous 184-run triumph in Melbourne.
Marnus Labuschagne after being struck by a delivery from India’s Mohammed Siraj on Boxing Day.Credit: Getty Images
His Boxing Day 72 was the crispest Labuschagne had looked in months, capitalising on the base laid by Usman Khawaja and Sam Konstas before his wicket fell.
Come the second innings, Labuschagne earned another 70 runs through grit, toughness and a fierce resolve that would not be deterred. Not even by Bumrah.
When skipper Pat Cummins walked out to launch what proved to be a match-defining partnership, Labuschagne vowed to take the brunt of the Indian superstar, opting against easy singles in pursuit of greater glory.
“When Pat came out, I said to Sean Abbott, who was our 12th man, ‘I think I should just face Bumrah here’. I’d been batting for maybe 90 balls or something, and I had a fair feeling lining him up – and he was hot,” Labuschagne said.
“He got three wickets in two overs, so I just said to Pat when he came out, ‘What do you think? I just take Bumrah, and we can run on the other guys?’
“He’s just relentless, he bowls a relentless length, he attacks the stumps with that perpendicular action, and he’s tough to navigate.
“As a batter, when you start your innings, it is difficult to start your innings, so finding a way to navigate that and through his spells is important.”
Marnus Labuschagne adds to his run tally after watching Sam Konstas perform on Boxing Day.Credit: Getty Images
Labuschagne and Cummins combined for a crucial 57-run stand, taking their country from the doldrums to some sort of safety.
Despite beginning their second innings with a lead of 105, another Bumrah masterclass triggered a collapse of 6-91 – a lead of just 196.
By the time the Queensland leader departed, Australia’s ascendancy had risen to 253 runs, before Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland combined for a shock half-century partnership that took India’s winning target to historic territory at the MCG.
Without Labuschagne’s return to form, and the defiance of Cummins and Lyons, India would have stood as clear favourites to come from behind and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
While his first century for 18 months still eludes him, Labuschagne appears to have rediscovered much of his mojo. And he credits the nation’s newest sensation as the catalyst for that.
Konstas walked out to bat on debut with the weight of the world on his shoulders – a 19-year-old tasked with taking the attack to Bumrah in front of almost 90,000 punters.
Rather than be deterred by the occasion, he had the audacity to ramp, reverse ramp, and charge down the wicket to the world’s leading quick – a move that Labuschagne believes “got under his skin a bit”.
But the flow-on effect of Konstas’ breathtaking initiation to Test cricket could extend beyond this series, with Cummins confirming that the way he took the game on encouraged the rest of the group to “start being proactive … [and] everyone walked out there with more intent”.
Criticism of Labuschagne before this clash was not without merit.
This year, his four half-centuries had been offset by 10 single-digit scores. His only other knock? Ten against the West Indies.
But watching Konstas play without fear proved a transformative experience. It enabled Khawaja to build his game in a way he had not done this series – passing 50 for the first time – and it enabled Labuschagne to emit a very different energy to the man who limped to two from 52 balls in the first Test.
Irrespective of how Konstas’ form continues ahead of next summer’s Ashes, the mindset shift he has given the top order could be his greatest contribution.
Sam Konstas’ free-flowing and aggressive style brought out the best in some of his fellow batsmen.Credit: AP
“Watching that first innings and watching Sam bat and the way he went about it, I was sitting there with Steve [Smith] saying, ‘we really have to look at the way we’re going about it because this looks way more fun’,” Labuschagne said.
“But I think it probably just made me think about what’s my best method: rather than technical things, it was more tactical, and ‘how am I going to find a way through this, and how am I going to score runs’.
“It’s good to be scoring runs, making contributions and helping Australia get in positions to win games.”
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