Labuschagne’s entire stay in the middle on the first-ever day of Test cricket in Mackay had a feel of him trying to hang on to lost glory.
Like he’d taken the stage with his future on the line and decided to try his best to play his greatest hits.
He’d even brought back the exaggerated hand gestures, akin to Steve Smith, after leaving deliveries outside the off-stump.
Along with his trademark “Noo runnn” after defending a delivery from Taskin Ahmed, the Marnus trademark that had become the war-cry of junior cricket around the country when he was at his peak.
There were signs of it even in his preparation for this match.
Labuschagne’s entire stay in the middle on the first-ever day of Test cricket in Mackay had a feel of him trying to hang on to lost glory. Like he’d taken the stage with his future on the line and decided to try his best to play his greatest hits. It meant the return of all his once-routine mannerisms. From checking on the bail before facing up to the bowler at the start of the over, to trying to get into the contest with the bowlers by staring right back at them in their follow through. He’d even brought back the exaggerated hand gestures, akin to Steve Smith, after leaving deliveries outside the off-stump. Along with his trademark “Noo runnn” after defending a delivery from Taskin Ahmed, the Marnus trademark that had become the war-cry of junior cricket around the country when he was at his peak. After all the characteristic technical tinkering, from grips to where he stands at the crease, he seemed to have embraced that old adage of going back to what had worked for him at his best. There were signs of it even in his preparation for this match.
