Marnus Labuschagne has revealed the details of a text exchange with Cameron Green in which he ruled out the possibility of being replaced in the playing XI despite suffering an injury scare during the third day of the Australia-Pakistan Test in Perth.
Labuschagne suffered a severe bruise on his right hand after receiving a ball from Pakistan debutant Furram Shahzad. He was writhing in pain and required medical attention, but he pushed himself to the limit and was out for the second straight game.
While Labuscagne was rushed to hospital for tests, Green, who had been replaced in the playing eleven by Western Australian teammate Mitchell Marsh, texted him to inquire about his health.
“On my way to the test, I got a message from Greenie. He just said, ‘I hope everything goes well, good luck.’ And I said, ‘It doesn’t make any difference. ‘Let’s do it,'” Labuschagne joked after the game.
Ouch! Marnus Labuschagne cops a nasty one on the hand and is getting some treatment out in the middle #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/UMHmIgHjuF
– cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) 16. 2023 年 12 月
“That’s happened so many times when I’ve been on the bench, so it’s going to have to take something pretty serious, I reckon, to have me miss.”
Australia’s No.3 confirmed that nothing serious came out from his scans and he is all set to feature in the next match at MCG: “The finger’s fine; there is no break. It hit me more on the knuckle side and sort of just jammed up my hand. I was a little nervous out there because I haven’t had too many. I’ve had a lot of finger blows, but it felt a bit different. Overnight, it was a little bit sore, but the morning was fine, and I had a hit. I’ve got really good range in it, so all good.”
Labuschagne was not the only player to fend off body blows on a deteriorating Perth wicket, with Marsh, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja also hit. Pakistan were helpless before the Australian pace cartel, conceding 89 runs in the second innings, handing the hosts a resounding 360-run victory.
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