BGT 2024: “Everyone’s here to write articles,” Marnus Labuschagne refutes David Warner’s criticism of his batting form

Warner remained unconvinced about Labuschagne's form despite the latter scoring 64 in Adelaide Test.

By Salman Anjum - 13 Dec, 2024

Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne has refuted David Warner’s criticism of his batting form after the pink-ball Test against India at the Adelaide Oval.

Labuschagne ended his lean patch with a confident knock of 64 during Australia’s first innings in the second Test.

However, Warner remained unconvinced, claiming Australia’s No. 3 frequently gets caught at gully. The former opener cited the example of Labuschagne’s dismissal off Nitish Kumar Reddy to vindicate his claim.

"I’m still not convinced with Marnus. I don’t think that was anywhere near what we know he’s capable of. He might have got a couple out of the middle, got a couple of freebies, batted well that night to get through but they bowled poorly.

“So from that perspective, he had the best conditions to come out and bat in. But he got out the same way he always does get out when he gets over 50, hits it straight to gully. So there’s a lack of awareness there of what he’s got to be mindful of. I don’t think he’s anywhere near where he should be," Warner had said while speaking on Fox Sports.

On the eve of the third Test in Brisbane, Labuschagne asked Warner to review his criticism about how often he gets caught at gully.

“I would like to see him check how many times I’ve been caught at gully, because apparently I get out there every week. I’ve looked back and I think I can only remember getting caught at gully twice. So I might have to have a look at Bull’s (Warner’s) comment there. But like I said, everyone’s here to write newspapers, write articles,” Labuschagne told News Corp.

Marnus Labuschagne also addressed the scrutiny of his approach in the middle, noting its contradictory nature.

"It’s a two-edged sword. Week before, I wasn’t playing enough shots, and then this week, people are unhappy because you’re playing too many shots. So the end of the day, I’m not here to please everyone. I’m here to win games for Australia," Labuschagne remarked.

"It’s not about trying to convince people I’m back or not. For me, it’s about winning games for Australia and me finding ways to score runs. That’s what I did last week and hopefully we can have a repeat. And when I get that opportunity again, and get myself in to make sure I make it a big score.

"(I was a) little bit disappointed getting out the stage that I did last week, but that’s part of the game. And the benefit is that it was able to be set up for someone else to take advantage of that, which is good," he concluded.

By Salman Anjum - 13 Dec, 2024

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