Reports from CODE Sports indicated that Labuschagne was visibly in pain and went down on his knees after being hit on the arm. However, Australian assistant coach Michael Di Venuto reassured that there were no major injury concerns for Labuschagne, as he continued to bat despite the impact.
“He [Marnus] kept on batting so he must’ve been OK. Otherwise, he would have walked out. He’s got a finger that has copped a couple of knocks. I think he just got another one. He said it felt better because the blood started to flow through or something. So it makes sense if that’s what you want,” Di Venuto was quoted as saying by Fox Cricket.
Further, expressing confidence in Labuschagne and fellow teammate Steve Smith, Di Venuto asserted that both players would soon regain their form and contribute significantly to the Australian side in the remainder of the Ashes series. He further explained that Labuschagne and Smith chose to face some deliveries in the nets during the practice session, alongside other fringe players in the squad.
“They (Marnus and Steve) got wind of a net session that we had organised for the guys that hadn’t been playing. They have had a few days off shadow-batting in their rooms. They got itchy feet. So we welcomed them down here to hit cricket balls as they both love doing,” added Di Venuto.
With the second Test set to commence on Wednesday, June 28, the Australian team will be hoping for Labuschagne’s swift recovery and return to top form.
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