'Last time I walked through there, no one knew who I was': Labuschagne before Lord's return
"Playing at Lord's was memorable for me as it was my first crack at Ashes cricket. The last time I walked through there no one knew who I was. So they weren't really clapping out of excitement. They were kind of giving me like pity claps. Last time it was like 'Who is this. This isn't Steve Smith.'"
Marnus Labuschange commented on his return to the legendary Lord's ground, saying that the last time he was there, no one knew he was there prior of the second Test in the Ashes 2023 series.
Labuschagne made his Ashes debut, filling in for Steve Smith, who had been hit on the neck by Jofra Archer. Smith did not come out in the match's second innings, despite continuing to bat.
In the second innings, Labuschagne came in to bat and was hit on the grill of his helmet by Archer, but he soldiered on to score a vital fifty as Australia drew the Test match. Since then, the 29-year-old has established himself as one of Australia's most dependable batsmen, briefly holding the No. 1 Test batter rating before being overtaken by Joe Root.
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Speaking to Cricket.com.au, Labuschane said it was a memorable experience for him and last time no one knew who he was and it would be different this year.
"Playing at Lord's is an amazing privilege because of its history and the uniqueness of the ground of the venue."
"Playing at Lord's was memorable for me as it was my first crack at Ashes cricket. The last time I walked through there no one knew who I was. So they weren't really clapping out of excitement. They were kind of giving me like pity claps. Last time it was like 'Who is this. This isn't Steve Smith.'"
"So, it will be different this time," said Labuschagne.
The Australian batter stated that scoring a fifty in his first Ashes Test is a treasured memory for him. However, Labuschagne stated that he is looking forward to helping Australia win games and not dwelling on the past.
"That memory of Archer hitting me, getting back up and facing the music and being able to get a fifty. That holds a special memory in my heart. It's always memorable, but history is history. How that happened, how I played then isn't important to what's to come. For me, it's about how I help this win and how I help them win matches," said Labuschagne.
