Ashes 2021-22 | I am a huge admirer of Marnus Labuschagne, says Mike Atherton
Michael Atherton has praised Marnus Labuschagne, saying he is a huge admirer of Australia's No.3, after he scored 74 runs on Day 2 of the ongoing first Ashes Test in Brisbane. Atherton praised Labuschagne's hunger to score runs and his ability to let the good balls go at the start of the innings.
The Ashes 2021-22 commenced on December 8 at The Gabba, Brisbane, and Australia started off well as they bundled out England for a paltry 147 in the first innings. Pat Cummins scalped five wickets on his debut Australia's Test captain, and was accompanied by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood, who scalped two wickets each.
In reply, Australia stood at 343/7 with a lead of 196 runs at the end of day 2. Travis Head scored his third Test century, his first in Ashes, and walked off unbeaten on 112 at stumps. Earlier, David Warner (94) and Marnus Labuschagne (74) scored half-centuries, and partnered for a 156-run stand to take hosts into the lead.
Former England captain Michael Atherton has praised Marnus Labuschagne, saying that he is a huge admirer of the right-hand batsman.
“I am a huge admirer of Marnus Labuschagne from the moment I saw him,” Atherton said, speaking to SEN Test cricket.
“I hadn’t seen much of him until he walked to the crease memorably in that Test at Lords and got felled by Jofra Archer … the way that he sprang up after that bouncer and just looked at Archer in the eye, you knew this was a guy who wanted to play desperately Test cricket desperately.”
Labuschagne's 74 came from 117 which included six boundaries and two maximums. Atherton remarked that Labuschagne has a hunger to score runs and praised him for the way he left the balls at the start of his innings.
“He looks as though he’s got a hunger for the game, a hunger to score runs, and he left the ball beautifully at the start of the innings when Robinson was bowling well and getting that bounce tight around off stump.”
Steve Smith is a great of the modern-day game with an impressive record in red-ball cricket. However, Atherton stated that Labuschagne could finish his career with a better batting average than the vice-captain.
“I love watching him bat actually, he’s a quirky cricketer,” Atherton continued. "He’s almost taken on some of the mannerisms of Steve Smith.
“I’ve had a quiet bet with my son at home after that 2019 summer, I had a pound with my lad that he’s going to average more than Steve Smith at the end of his career. We’ll see who’s right, but I just had the sense from the moment he came into the Australian side that there was a guy with a hunger for runs.”
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