Marnus Labuschagne's stellar summer continues, hits maiden double ton against New Zealand
From the first-ever concussion substitute in international cricket to Australia's middle-order talisman, Marnus Labuschagne has come a long way in the past 12 months. The technically gifted batsman scored his maiden Test double-hundred against New Zealand on Day 2 of the third Test match in Sydney. Labuschagne took 346 balls to breach the 200-run mark in which he slammed 19 fours and one six.
On the third ball of the 134th over Labuschagne edged the ball through the slips, which raced away for a boundary as the whole SCG stood up to applaud the masterful innings from one hell of a player. In the end, Kiwi spinner Todd Astle got the prized wicket of Labuschagne on 215 as took the catch on his own delivery.
With 215, Labuschagne maintained Australia's batsmen tradition to score the first double ton of the decade in Test cricket since the 2000s. Current Australia's head coach Justin Langer was the first batsman to breach the 200-run mark in 2000s decade, while the former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting slammed the first double ton of 2010s.
Labuschagne has now scored 837 runs in the last-five Test match of the Australian summer. He joined the elite-list of England's Wally Hammond (905) and Australia pair Neil Harvey (834) and Don Bradman (810 and 806) as the only batters to score 800 runs in a five-Test summer on Australian soil.
Labuschagne has been in sublime form in the past 12 months ended the year with 1104 runs in 11 matches – the most by any player in 2019 and the only player to breach the 1000-run mark in the year. The 25-year-old hit three centuries and seven fifties at an outstanding average of 64.94.
The middle-order batsman is also the highest run-scorer in the World Test Championship so far. In 9 Tests, Labuschagne has scored 1190 runs at a staggering average of 85.
He was in full control during the stellar innings as he was patient against disciplined New Zealand pace attack and used his feet brilliantly against the spin to counter-attack the opposition on several occasions.
The future of Labuschagne is so bright that he is currently at the No. 4 spot in the ICC Test Rankings, behind the modern-day greats of the game - Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson.
On Friday, Labuschagne shared a 156-run stand with Smith for the third wicket to put Australia in a firm position on Day 1. He didn't back down on Day 2 as he stood strong when the other Australians didn't manage to hit big.
