Gum, runs and a 'light sabre leave' - the starry rise of cricket's Labuschagne

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne has joined the stars of world cricket in just five months, soaring to fourth in the batting rankings from a nondescript 110th after seizing a freak opportunity with both hands.

Labuschagne emerged from nowhere to become Test cricket's leading scorer last year with 1,104 runs, including 896 since November -- bettering the great Neil Harvey (834) for most runs scored by an Australian in a five-Test summer.

The South African-born 25-year-old now shares rarefied air with cricket's elite, lagging only Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson in the international rankings.

"I haven't really had a chance to stop and reflect on the summer that I have had," Labuschagne said after his double century against New Zealand last week in Sydney.

"Looking at it, it has been a very special summer but the real privilege is playing in this team."
- Captaincy calling -
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"He seems like the right sort of guy to maybe be a captain down the track at some point."
"He is always looking to get a single, looking to get off strike, looking for the bad ball... they are the traits that I have seen in nearly 70 years of watching cricket that the good players have."