After winning the toss and choosing to field, Marcus Bean made an early impact, dismissing Nathan McSweeney in his opening over.
Despite this, Usman Khawaja contributed a quickfire 23 runs, followed by Marnus Labuschagne’s highest-ever BBL score of 77 and Matt Renshaw’s rapid 40 from just 25 balls.
Labuschagne was the standout performer, taking control during the power surge with a combination of classical and inventive shots—one of which would have surely caught Rishabh Pant’s eye.
Labuschagne began the surge by striking three fours in the opening over, reaching his maiden fifty of the season. He continued to dominate, taking on Riley Meredith through the 15th over.
On the final delivery of that over, Labuschagne faced a fuller ball and, with impeccable timing, scooped it over fine leg. This shot was reminiscent of Pant’s signature move, which the wicketkeeper-batter had recently mentioned as his favorite during a Q&A session on social media.
😱 MARNUS 😱
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 16, 2025
That's some shot at The Gabba! #BBL14 pic.twitter.com/VTTdEULcEy
Fans were quick to point out the striking similarity, with Labuschagne seemingly drawing inspiration from Pant’s trademark scoop against the pacer.