MELBOURNE: Australian star batter Marnus Labuschagne etched his name in cricketing history by joining England legend Joe Root in an exclusive club of batters with 4000 runs in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).
The milestone came on Day one of the Boxing Day Test against India at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Labuschagne achieved the milestone by surpassing the 14-run mark in Australia's first innings, becoming the second player in WTC history to reach the 4000-run landmark.
Root, who leads the ICC Test batting rankings, was the first to accomplish the feat and remains the highest run-scorer in the WTC with an impressive 5543 runs in 64 matches.
Most runs in ICC World Test Championship:
- Joe Root (England) - 5543 runs
- Marnus Labuschagne (Australia) - 4058 runs
- Steve Smith (Australia) - 3672 runs
- Ben Stokes (England) - 3312 runs
- Travis Head (Australia) - 2919 runs
For Pakistan, Babar Azam leads the charge with 2760 runs in 32 matches, boasting an impressive average of 51.11, including eight centuries and 15 half-centuries.
The right-handed batter, who entered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy under scrutiny due to a lean patch, has shown signs of resurgence.
In the ongoing series, he has scored two half-centuries in six innings, hinting at a return to form.
On Thursday, Marnus Labuschagne steadied Australia's innings after opener Sam Konstas’ impressive 60-run knock came to an end.
Partnering first with Usman Khawaja (57) for a 65-run stand, Labuschagne then built an unbroken 80-plus-run partnership with Steve Smith.
The 29-year-old is now well-positioned to end his century drought, which dates back to July 2023, when he last scored a Test hundred against England at Old Trafford.
- Joe Root