Steve Smith Wishes 'Strangest Bloke' Marnus Labuschagne On His 26th Birthday

Marnus Labuschagne, Australia’s latest batting sensation, is celebrating his 26th birthday today (June 22) and wished to continue to pour in on the South African born Australian batsman.

Steve Smith, Labuschagne’s idol, took to his Instagram account to wish the 26-year-old, where he referred to him as the ‘2nd best latte artist’

Hailing himself as the undisputed latte artist, the No.1 ranked batsmen wrote-

“Happy birthday to the strangest bloke and 2nd best latte artist in this photo,”

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A post shared by Steve Smith (@steve_smith49)

It has been surreal the last 12 months for Marnus Labuschagne where he not only pulled himself out of the wilderness but also impinged himself as the future of Australian Test batting and one of the leading lights of the modern era.

Marnus Labuschagne is the leading run-scorer in the ongoing Test championship

Coming in as cricket’s first-ever concussion replacement for Steven Smith, Labuschagne showed remarkable composure against Jofra Archer and co, one that proceeded to leave a lasting impression on Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who later on hailed him as a ‘special player’.

“I happened to be watching the second Test match (Ashes) at Lord’s between England and Australia. When Steve Smith got injured, I saw Labuschagne’s second innings. I was sitting with my father-in-law. I saw Marnus get hit off the second ball from Jofra Archer and, post that, the 15 minutes he batted, I said, This player looks special’. There is something about him,” Sachin Tendulkar had said.

Since then, Marnus Labuschagne has gone from strength to strength. After 14 Teste, the 26-year-old has racked up 1459 runs at a barely believable average of 63.

The right-hander is currently the leading run-scorer in the ongoing ICC Test Championship, after having accumulated 1249 runs at an average of 83.26 which also includes 4 hundreds, 7 half-centuries, and a double hundred.

Marnus Labuschagne, who was named as one of the top-5 leading cricketers of 2019 by Wisden, was grateful for Tendulkar’s words, adding that he was stocked about it.

“It was pretty amazing, it’s one that definitely when I saw it I was quick to read it and it really hit me. Amazing words from someone of that calibre. I was very grateful for his words and just stoked really,” Marnus Labuschange told cricket.com.au.

Also Read: Steve Smith Reminisces About His Early Days With Virat Kohli