- By Manik Sharma
- Mon, 20 Nov 2023 02:39 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
World Cup 2023: It was the Men in Gold, Australia, who emerged victorious against the seemingly invincible Indian side in the ultimate clash of the tournament—the one that truly mattered. Australia shattered Indian hopes by securing a six-wicket victory in the World Cup final contest.
Travis Head played a pivotal role in steering the game in Australia's favour, smashing an impressive 137 runs in just 120 balls. However, another unsung hero of the match deserves recognition for his resilience - Marnus Labuschagne.
Labuschagne contributed significantly, scoring 58 runs in 110 balls and remained unbeaten after a match-winning 192-run partnership with Head as Australia secured their sixth World Cup title. His steadfast performance was crucial, especially during moments when Australian wickets were falling like a stack of cards.
"It's almost the perfect pair out there for that sort of scenario. Me absorbing the pressure at one end, Heady putting pressure back on them at the other," Cricket.com.au quoted Labuschagne as saying.
Initially left out of Australia's 18-member provisional squad, Labuschagne was a late addition, replacing Ashton Agar due to injury. Labuschagne, who was unsure of his place in the playing eleven until the last moment, reflected on the potential roles he could play.
"Last night, 10 o'clock, the team hadn't been announced yet. Didn't know (if I was playing), I was sitting on my bed. And I was actually thinking: How can I add value then if I'm not playing? Maybe fielding?" Labuschagne said.
"Then at quarter past 10, the team got sent out and it just said 'same team'. So that was a bit of a relief," he added.
Acknowledging the support from coaches and selectors, Labuschagne attributed his continuous presence in the team to a series of opportunities arising from injuries and other circumstances.
"I think I was unofficially dropped five times, but played every game. I wasn't in the squad in South Africa. Someone got concussed, I got an opportunity, got some runs, pushed my case, got in the squad, played 19 games since the first South Africa (ODI) in a row," Labuschagne said.
He highlighted the partnership with Head in the final as a perfect combination, with Labuschagne absorbing pressure while Head aggressively attacked.
"We played a beautiful hand, because I'm playing such a low-risk game, not letting them in, Heady's taking the game on... They're kind of getting punched from both ends," Labuschagne said.
"We just kept saying to each other, 'Just keep playing your way'. He said (when victory was in sight) 'I'm gonna finish it this over'. I really wish he was out there for the finish... It was such a special innings," he concluded.
Labuschagne scored 362 runs including three fifties from 10 innings at an average of 40.22 in the Cricket World Cup 2023.
