Marnus Labuschagne - The Unsung Hero of Australia's World Cup Victory

Calcutta: The unsung star of Australia's victorious World Cup campaign has been Marnus Labuschagne. Their aim was largely accomplished by his unbeaten fifty-eight in the Ahmedabad final and his 192-run partnership with Travis Head.

The 29-year-old Labuschagne, who was taking a vacation from cricket with his family on Friday morning, spoke with The Telegraph from Brisbane.

Take-outs:

Q: Marnus, congratulations. Has the triumph taken hold?

A: I don't think the satisfaction of winning a World Cup in India has truly worn off. Now, let's move on to the T20s. To truly take in what our team has accomplished, I believe it will take some time.

Q: After the final, you were so emotional in the mixed zone that your voice was choking. What does winning a world championship mean?

A: Well, I believe it was merely an acknowledgment of the accomplishments made by the team as well as mine, having entered the South Africa trip a month earlier despite not being a member of the squad. At first, I wasn't even in the photo. I was a little emotional because of that. only due to the accomplishment of what truly transpired during that time.

Q: It was a risky move for Pat Cummins to send India into the batting in the championship. Was it something you two discussed when you got together?

A: Not at all... There was undoubtedly discussion within the team over our strategy for the final. Since Pat generally loses the toss anyhow, our only hope was that India would follow their wishes. Thus, when he did in fact win the toss, it came as a bit of a surprise. India's inclusion, in my opinion, was a wise one. We were aware that the wicket would be more difficult to play on during the day at a World Cup and that there would be some swing and seam if we could make it through the night session.

We were aware that the wicket would improve, and it did. Even though Bumrah and Shami had their tails up and it was 47 for 3, it did appear a little hopeless at the time. I believe that when we got through that storm, it was evident that the pitch did get a little bit better for batting.

Q: You and Head both had significant innings in the championship game. What was it like to bat in the middle of the stadium surrounded by fans who were constantly attempting to pull you down?

A: You kind of assume control of yourself when you're in public. All of your training, your innate instincts, and everything you've been ready for just kick in. I could use my Test match abilities to traverse the scenario without any significant run-rate pressure, especially with Travis on the other end and a modest target, so I think the scenario was tailor-made for me. All that remained was for Travis and I to form an alliance and attempt to exert pressure on India.

And in the end, it had less to do with wickets than it did with runs in the final... We accomplished that, I believe.

The scoreboard really opened up towards the finish when we needed less than 100 runs, and as we approached, the total decreased and they began looking for wickets.

Marnus Labuschagne is back at home with his daughter Hallie Grace and wife Rebekah.

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Q: What was the non-striker's experience like when watching Head?

A: As I mentioned earlier, it's fun to watch Travis bat at the other end because he strikes the ball with such beauty. He enters the contest. All we had to do was play our respective roles and make decisions based on the situation that we found ourselves in. And I take the pressure while he plays the game. And in that case, it was like a match made in heaven.

On a dry surface, how were you going to counter the Indian spinners?

A: In the end, our bowlers held India to 240 runs. The hitters were relieved of their pressure. It appears that you have additional scoring alternatives without having to take any chances. In the end, that's what altered the situation. With additional dangers associated with a 320 chase against the spinners, the scenario for that wicket would have been different.

Q: Did the camp panic when three wickets fell in quick succession?

A: The next batters were probably a little anxious as they were on the verge of hitting and waiting to bat. However, in that particular instance, it was my responsibility to step in, diffuse the tension, take a little bit of the pressure, and begin forming a relationship. That should have helped to ease some of the tension in the changing room by implying that "we can do this, we can chase this target."

Q: There was a lot of discussion over the pitch. On the eve of the final, were any of you concerned about the pitch?

A: To be honest, we weren't at all concerned about the pitch. We were aware that both teams would have to bat on the pitch, regardless of what it was.

In any case, to win the championship, we had to defeat India in their home ground and under their circumstances. And that's what makes it even more sweeter: on a surface that was supposed to be the ideal wicket for the Indian bowlers, we defeated perhaps one of the greatest one-day teams ever to play in the final at home. That, in my opinion, is what makes it so thrilling.

What distinguishes this team from the others in major competitions like the World Cup or the WTC final?

A: I believe the tournament is the only factor. As you can see, a large number of our gamers are skilled at large games. They managed to figure it out. They always manage to make it work. And during the course of the competition, each person took it upon themselves at various points and stood up at different moments to set the team for success. We have big game players, which is what makes it unique; when the chips are down, they just step up and play even better.

When you were losing against Afghanistan and losing your first two games, what was the group's conversation about?

A: It merely requires comprehension. We are aware of what must be done. Not at all like our best cricket game. We felt we could pressure teams once we got back to playing our best cricket. And what truly set things in motion was winning our first game against Sri Lanka. After the lads kind of paused, we really got into our fun.

Has this team established itself as one of Australia's top cricket teams?

A: Well, I know how close this event was with ten teams, but I can't compare to some of the other teams that played. I believe there hasn't ever been a World Cup where every team in the competition has played in so many close games. There isn't, in my opinion, a World Cup where every team has won two or more

further games, which demonstrates the tightness.

It was difficult because the game's conditions varied greatly at different points. You had to be adaptable. The ball whirled throughout the day and swung at night. There were a lot of obstacles to overcome, but our team's accomplishment makes it stand out as one of the greatest World Cup wins ever, in my opinion.

What does it mean to you personally, too? For you, what level is the next?

A: I'm not certain. I don't believe I've arrived at it yet. However, very few things can compare to winning the World Cup in India.

Perhaps the only things that can truly come close to reaching that kind of record are winning an away Ashes series and an away trip of India. However, to understand what it took for us to win a World Cup, you have to play cricket for ten weeks—really well.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.