Australia's star batter Marnus Labuschagne has shed light on the verbal abuse he endured from Indian players, including Virat Kohli, during the intense final of ODI World Cup 2023. He described how the Indian team attempted to unsettle him with their sledging tactics but he couldn't hear a word because of the electrifying atmosphere of the Ahmedabad crowd.
Labuschagne played a crucial 58-run knock in Australia's six-wicket victory over India in the ODI World Cup 2023 final on November 19. The middle order batter steadied Australia's boat after his team was reeling at 47/3 in pursuit of chasing a modest total of 240 runs. He patiently built his innings and stitched a match-winning 192-run partnership with the centurion Travis Head.
India dominated the early stages of Australia's chase. The supportive Indian crowd cheered on their team, creating an intimidating environment for the opposition. When Labuschagne stepped onto the field, Virat Kohli greeted him with aggressive sledging. Labuschagne responded with a confident gesture and a sharp comment before locking eyes with Kohli.
Following Kohli's sledging, Shreyas Iyer also attempted to unsettle Labuschagne with some words of his own. However, the Australian batter remained unruffled by the sledging and the crowd's gestures. He maintained his focus and composure throughout his innings, ultimately guiding his team to victory.
In a recent newsletter titled 'My World Cup Final Wrap' Labuschagne opened up on the experience, revealing that he was unable to discern the Indian players' sledging remarks due to the overwhelming roar of the Ahmedabad crowd.
“It was so loud and the wave of momentum India had was immense. The Indian team were getting into me and all I could say back, and very truthfully at that, was ‘I actually can’t hear what you’re saying over the crowd’. On this bus ride to the ground, there were fans lining the streets from about 5km out. It was amazing to see the fans get behind the game like they did,” the 29-year-old said.
Labuschagne also commented on the dismissal of Kohli, describing how the entire stadium fell silent after witnessing their batting hero going back to pavilion, leaving India gasping. He further acknowledged the impact of Rohit Sharma's dismissal, which allowed Australia to make a comeback in the all-important final. Labuschagne credited Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head for their exceptional contributions, adding that:
“Standing in the middle of a giant stadium with 130,000 fans in it who all went silent at this moment. We all just stood in the team huddle and took it in for a moment. It was huge in the context of the game. For Maxi to throw it up like he did and tempt Rohit into the shot, and then Heady to take this grab. It was massive,” he concluded.
Labuschagne will next be seen in the upcoming Australia versus Pakistan's three-match Test series which is slated to kick off from December 14.
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