Ashes 2023: Marnus Labuschagne stumped by insane question in press conference after century in 4th T
Marnus Labuschagne might have cracked a fighting 111 on Day 4 at Old Trafford, but even the world’s No. 5 ranked Test batter was stumped when it came to this extraordinary question from an English journalist after the day’s play.
With plenty of rain forecast for both day four and five, the Australians looked to have secured a stay of execution with the tourists still trailing by 61 runs on first innings and the rain in Manchester not showing any signs of letting up.
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With the match almost certain to end in a tame rain-affected draw, the dawning realisation that the Ashes are soon to become unwinnable for the English didn’t seem to stop one of the most extraordinary strategic suggestions ever seen in a press conference.
Labuschagne was visibly surprised in fielding the question, which asked whether he foresaw the Australians taking the lead, declaring, and then bowling England out in a single day with a forecast 95 per cent chance of rain.
“If there’s no rain at all tomorrow, some sort of freak (event) happens, are you discounting the win completely?” asked an English journalist.
“Can you see a situation where Australia declare tomorrow?”
“As in, get a lead, and then … what do you mean?” asked a perplexed Labuschagne.
“No. No chance. Zero.
“I think we’re just going to let it play out, and get bowled out when we do. I don’t think we’re going to give England a sniff, I think that’s what they would like.”
It was an eventful press conference for Labuschagne, with the batter fielding questions about a run-in with Ben Stokes during the day’s play.
As Labuschagne and Mitch Marsh built a defiant partnership, eventually to reach 103, Stokes took umbrage at Labuschagne’s own inspection of the replacement Dukes ball the umpires offered England in the 58th over.
Dukes balls particularly are made and finished by hand, and vary significantly more than their Kookaburra equivalents, and so there remains a degree of science and art in the selection of a ball.
Stokes visibly remonstrated with the umpires after having alerted them to the previous ball being out of shape.
Journalist Bharat Sundaresan described Stokes as giving Labuschagne “a piece of his mind”.
While umpires previously routinely offered the balls to players for inspection when selecting a replacement ball that had fallen out of shape, newer protocols have meant umpires simply select for themselves the ball that is used without consultation.
Labuschagne went on to confirm the Poms’ displeasure in the post-match press conference.
“They weren’t happy that I wanted to have a look at the ball,” Labuschagne said.
“But I just wanted to have a look at the ball because in this country it’s pretty clear.
“If you look at the ball once you can pretty much tell straight away what it’s going to do. I looked at the ball, and I was like, ‘well, this is going (to) swing’.”
“Yeah, they were obviously not very happy with that. But I said it to Ben out there.
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“‘Why do you want to look at the ball?’ he asked me, and I said ‘to see if it’s going to swing’. Jimmy Anderson went first ball to me, it’s a big inswinger.
“So I think it just helps you prepare. I mean, you know what you’re facing.
“I think it’s just being meticulous. For me, it was pretty common sense. Like, why would I not want to have a look at the ball, especially in England, with overcast conditions.”
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