Labuschagne played a crucial role in Australia’s victory, scoring an unbeaten 58 off 110 balls
Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne has announced that he is retiring the bat he used in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 final, held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
In a memorable final played on November 19, 2023, Australia faced off against India. Labuschagne played a crucial role in Australia’s victory, scoring an unbeaten 58 off 110 balls. His innings, which included four boundaries, helped Australia secure a record-extending sixth World Cup title.
Labuschagne recently shared a photo of the bat on Instagram, showing its worn-out condition with noticeable wear and tear. He captioned the image, "Think it’s finally time to retire the World Cup final bat."
In that final, Australia, led by Pat Cummins, chose to bowl first on a challenging pitch. India, despite strong starts from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, struggled to score freely. KL Rahul’s 66 was the highest score, but India was bowled out for 240, thanks to Mitchell Starc’s three-wicket haul.
Australia's chase got off to a shaky start, with the team at 47/3 after losing key players like David Warner and Steve Smith early. However, Labuschagne and Travis Head steadied the innings with a crucial partnership of 192 runs. Head’s quickfire 137 and Labuschagne’s steady knock guided Australia towards victory. Head was dismissed in the 43rd over, but Glenn Maxwell quickly scored the remaining runs, leading Australia to a six-wicket win with seven overs to spare.
While Head received much of the acclaim, Labuschagne’s supporting role was also highly praised, contributing significantly to the World Cup win.