‘Trusting my instincts’: The one shot that told Labuschagne his Ashes fight was on

3 weeks ago 4

One crisp cover drive on a clear Wednesday morning told Marnus Labuschagne he was on the brink of returning to his best form, as his quest to earn an Ashes berth gained momentum.

As Australian selector George Bailey watched on at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field, Labuschagne peeled off a classy 130 to launch Queensland’s Dean Jones Cup campaign in fine style.

The 31-year-old, eager to regain his place in the Test side after being axed for the most recent series in the West Indies, moved his feet with freedom to post his century in just 92 balls against Victoria.

Marnus Labuschagne struck a brilliant century for Queensland to begin his push for a Test recall.

He revealed his time away from international cricket had helped him trust his instincts again – which he admittedly questioned before his demotion – and an early boundary off rival quick Mitch Perry set the tone.

“When the wicket is doing a bit, your natural instincts might be to sit back a little bit and not go at the ball. I saw the ball early was swinging away, and I moved into the ball nicely and pushed it through cover,” Labuschagne said after the Bulls secured a 55-run win.

“That was probably the first one that showed me my footwork was feeling good – I was moving well and was then able to shift into the ball. It was nice to be back playing my best, and back trusting my instincts and being able to take that game deep.

“I think it always happens at some stage in your career where you’re almost searching for that way, and you may have gotten out a few times a certain way and things shift on you a little bit. You get a little muddled and not as clear.

“The last two months being able to play lots of games – I played two trial games last week and played four of the local T20 comp – and just getting that feel of the game back [has helped].”

Labuschagne will ultimately need to continue his strong form in the Sheffield Shield campaign if he is to garner a recall in time for the Ashes, having been usurped by Sam Konstas in the Carribean after averaging just 30.91 dating back to the start of 2022.

But he believes the format of the game doesn’t matter, but that the processes he implements at the wicket will trigger his Test second-coming.

“Nothing else matters but runs, and the format doesn’t matter. It just matters that you’re scoring runs, and for me, I know if I’m playing my best, I’ll find my way back in the team,” he said.

“But that’s not my job; my job is to try and win games for Queensland right now, and to win the first game of the season like we did is pretty special.”

Queensland appeared on course for a smooth victory, reducing Victoria to 5-104 in their pursuit of the Bulls’ 5-310 – until Glenn Maxwell joined the crease.

The man they call “The Big Show”, who recently retired from international one-day cricket, struck a typically devastating 107 from just 82 deliveries, including eight boundaries and seven sixes, to keep his side in the hunt.

While Maxwell also claimed bowling figures of 1/46 from his eight overs, he laughed that Labuschagne got the better of him as the former world No.1 Test batsman targeted Victoria’s spinners.

But the veteran all-rounder believed his old Australia teammate had the tools to use Wednesday’s innings as a platform back to cricket’s upper echelon.

“He batted nicely, it was the perfect scenario for him: they had a heap of wickets in hand, the wicket was pretty slow, and we probably weren’t able to get as much out of the wicket having only three seamers,” Maxwell said.

“I think when he’s aggressive and making good decisions on the front and back foot, when he’s hurting you on both sides and still able to hit gaps, that’s when he’s at his best and when I’ve seen him play really well.

“He’s able to absorb pressure if a team’s in trouble, and he’s able to take the air out of the opposition. I’ve seen him play so many different roles, but I think, personally in my book, when he’s aggressive and taking the game on, I’ve seen him at his best.”

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