Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne was in severe pain after getting hit by a ball on his left knee on the fourth day of the recently concluded second Test match against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
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Omnipresent on a cricket ground, Labuschagne was fielding at short mid-off when Pakistan captain Shan Masood drove the second delivery of the 21st over bowled by Mitchell Starc straight towards him.
What initially appeared to be a catching opportunity wasn’t one as the ball had landed before reaching Labuschagne. Even though he was prepared to collect the ball, he failed because of the unusual bounce. As a result, ended up coping a blow right in the middle of his left knee.
With collecting the ball cleanly becoming the least of his priorities, Labuschagne was spotted screaming in discomfort only to be attended by the medical staff. An elongated delay even made way for other players to consume drinks. Determined as he always is, the 29-year old player continued fielding despite the suffering.
Right on the knee. That is painful #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/q84M7xyWAG
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 29, 2023
Two Injuries In As Many Matches For Marnus Labuschagne
For those who don’t know, Marnus Labuschagne had even suffered an injury on the third day of the first Perth Test earlier this month. Although the same had also occurred after a ball hit him, it had happened whilst batting against Pakistan pacer Khurram Shahzad in the second innings.
Facing a barrage of short deliveries, the right-handed batter couldn’t keep one pinpointed bouncer out of contact. Hit on his right hand at the time, Labuschagne could be seen writhing in discomfort only to ask for medical attention in the last match as well.
Before declaring himself fit within a couple of days, talks regarding replacing him with all-rounder Cameron Green had always been initiated in the Australian fraternity.
