‘Where did you find this guy? Oh no…..I know where he came from’: Jonty Rhodes’ hilarious origin comment on Marnus Labuschagne during AUS-SA Sydney Test
Marnus #Marnus
Former South Africa international turned commentator Jonty Rhodes wasn’t far off in his rhetorical for Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne. “Where did you find this guy?,” he’d exclaim while commentating during the final day of the Australia-South Africa three-match Test series. This, as the 28-year-old was about to bowl on the fifth day of the match, having an animated conversation with skipper Pat Cummins on the field setting.
It only took Rhodes seconds to follow through, “Oh no, that’s right. I know where he came from.” This of course, referring to Labuschagne’s story which originates from Klerksdorp in South Africa, his place of birth.
Since making his Test debut for Australia in Ashes 2019, Labuschagne has wowed the viewers of the game not just by his batting but also by his mannerisms on field, often the humorous points of the matches he features in.
Ahead of the series against Proteas, the Australia middle order batter had spoken about getting to face the country of his birth in a Test series in Australia.
“My family have adopted Australia as their home and they support me, they support the Australian cricket team,” Labuschagne had told Fox Sports ahead of the first Test between the two in Brisbane last month.
“But I certainly think it‘s it’s always exciting what this Test holds because it is a little bit closer to my heart because it’s the country where I grew up and where I spent 10 years of my life.”
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While this series was the first occasion for Labuschagne to represent Australia against South Africa in Tests, he had scored an ODI century against the opposition in Potchefstroom back in 2020 during a three-match series.
Labuschagne had further added that his origins from South Africa only meant that the Dean Elgar-led side may target him more when it came to the verbal joust on field. Just as the visiting skipper had said, “He is one of the form batters in the world and I am sure there is going to be a little bit of extra spice knowing he is ex-South African as well.”
“I‘ve got no doubt that they’re going to throw some curve-balls,” Labuschagne would retort. “Hopefully the responses can be either funny or none at all.“