Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne has finally responded to the heartfelt compliments passed on by former Team India and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Speaking at the 2020 Australian Cricket Awards on Monday (February 10), Marnus claimed that he feels very much "grateful" with the fact that one of the greats players of all time recognized him.
"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 caliber. I was very grateful for his words and just stoked really," Labuschagne told cricket.com.au.
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Ahead of the Bushfire Cricket Bash match, Tendulkar heaped praises on Labuschagne and said that the Australian batsman reminds him of himself.
“His footwork is so precise. So he would be the one I would say,” Tendulkar told reports in Sydney.
“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," he added.
Ever since Labuschagne came into the Aussie national side, his performances on the pitch have been exceptional.
The 25-year-old was named as a concussion substitute for Smith during the last year's Ashes series.
Labuschagne's form with the bat as been exceptional and has scored 1459 runs in 14 Tests at an average of 63.43. His incredible rise to glory also saw him earn the No 3 in the recent ICC Test rankings for batsmen.
Sachin had also complimented Marnus' flawless footwork and said: “Footwork is not physical, it’s mental. If you’re not thinking positively in your mind, then your feet don’t move."
"That clearly indicated to me that this guy is mentally strong because if you’re not, your feet will not move. His footwork was incredible.”
