Australia's Marnus Labuschagne finds form ahead of World Test Championship final against India
May 07, 2023
London [UK], May 7 : Australia star and No.1 ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne has signalled a return to form to India ahead of next month's ICC World Test Championship final with a brilliant century in England's County Championship.
Labuschagne hit 170* from just 207 deliveries in Glamorgan's second innings of their Division 2 clash against Yorkshire at Headingley and the right-hander immediately declared it was the best he had felt at the crease for some time.
The 28-year-old only reached 50 once during the four-match Border-Gavaskar series against India earlier this year, and he hadn't scored a century in any format since a stunning 163 against the West Indies in Adelaide in December.
But that all changed just one month before the World Test Championship final when Labuschagne found the middle of the bat with ease and scored freely against a Yorkshire attack that included England Test spinner Dom Bess and fellow Australian Mickey Edwards.
It was a welcome return to form for Labuschagne - who had managed scores of just 17, 5, 64 and 65 in four County knocks prior - and the Australian admitted he was relieved to finally reach three figures.
"I have been a bit sort of all over. It hasn't felt like it has come together until that innings. I hit a few nice straight drives, a couple of nice cover drives and a nice flick through mid-wicket. That's probably the most I've felt balanced at the crease, I felt like my head position was in a nice spot, my bat path was coming down nicely," ICC quoted Labuschagne as saying at the end of the day's play.
"For me it is taking it game by game and trying to build up that momentum that leads into the World Test Championship and the Ashes," he added.
