During the Lord's Test of 2019, Australia's star batsman Steve Smith was struck on the head while facing Jofra Archer. Ruled out for the rest of the game, Marnus Labuschagne, not part of the original XI, came out to bat in the second innings as Test cricket's first ever concussion substitute.
Labuschagne turned out to be quite a find for Australia, as he scored a fifty to help his side save the Test. He was consistent through the Ashes, though he failed to convert his fifties into centuries. His initiation into Test cricket came late in 2018, but he didn't quite make the headlines in his first five Tests. He was initially picked as a batting all-rounder who could bowl leg-spin, much like Smith himself.
A splendid season with Glamorgan gave him the boost he needed and that ensured a seat in the Ashes.
From the Ashes on, Labuschagne ensured he couldn't be dropped. Back home in Australia, Labuschagne proved his appetite for big hundreds as his scores, first against Pakistan and then New Zealand read 185, 162, 143, 50, 63, 19, 215, 59. That summer he scored 896 runs, averaging 112 with 4 centuries, 3 fifties.
The South Africa-born Labuschagne was Test cricket's highest run-scorer in 2019 with 1104 runs in 11 matches averaging 64.94. Smith was second in the list.
