Unlikely Hero Is Now A Regular Fixture

Adam Collins plots the rapid rise of Marnus Labuschagne, the ‘little known’ replacement who helped take Australia to the brink of retaining the Ashes

- Adam Collins

When the story of this Ashes series is told in the space of a Friends title, it will be ‘the one where Australia’s fast bowling was too good.’ And that will be true – for it is.

On Friday at Headingley, Justin Langer executed his plan to perfection, rolling out his three most impressive quicks; all in their prime, all on the same day. It couldn’t have worked better.

Only the night before Jofra Archer was changing the trajectory of the series with his own devastating fast and savvy offerings – his 6-45 was literally front and back news around the land. From the moment he bombed Steve Smith the previous Saturday afternoon, the entire mood of the series had changed. With the former captain missing at Leeds, the visitors skittled for 179, the scorecard told a familiar story for Australian sides in this country of late.

But where Archer was badly let down, Tim Paine’s bowlers weren’t. Principally, because both in North London when it mattered most, then at Yorkshire when the conditions were tougher to bat than at any time this summer, they had a fella with an unusual name and interesting background who showed a determination not to be a bit part in the Jofra Show.

Marnus Labuschagne was the definition of “little known” when picked in this squad as a spare pair of hands with both bat and ball. When earning his baggy green last October, it was a selection from left out centre but in games played well Off Broadway. There have been many Australian cricketers get a run in an away Test or two only to fade into obscurity.