Australian batsmen Marnus Labuschagne desired to play the “long game” as Cheteshwar Pujara did in the last two Border Gavaskar Trophy series to face India’s pace attack.
In the 2018-19 series, Pujara faced 1,258 In the 2018-19 series, Pujara faced 1,258 balls across seven innings, scoring three centuries as he counterattacked throughout the four-Test series, helping India secure a famous victory Down Under.
Pujara, known for his solid defence, continued with his approach in the 2020-21 series, facing 928 balls. The most balls faced by any batsmen. He contributed once again to another memorable win for the tourists.
For the Australian batsmen, Labuschagne is planning to use a similar strategy. The right-hander skipper feels that keeping India’s relatively inexperienced pace attack, aside from Jasprit Bumrah, on the field for as long as possible could be the key for the hosts in the five-Test series beginning here on Friday.
"It's going to be important for all of us. I think the way we play, we're at our best when we're playing the long game," Labuschagne said.
He continued, "We understand that getting them back for their second and third spells, putting them under pressure and letting them come to us and us putting pressure back on them through overs in the field and time in the game, especially over a five-Test series, that's really important.”
"Because as you get into the third, fourth, fifth Test, if they're trying to play the same team, and those bowlers are rolling into 100, 150, 200 overs by the third Test, it's going to make a big difference in the series," Labuschagne added.
India pace attack including Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, all playing their debut series in Australia.
Labuschagne, who bowls medium pace as well as legspin, bowled a barrage of bouncers to skipper Pat Cummins and pacer Mitchell Starc at the nets on Monday.
"I bowled one bouncer and I think Mitchell Starc said, 'We've got short memories'. And I said, 'Well, I'm going to get them anyway, so I might as well dish them out',” he said.
The 30-year-old will like nothing more than bowl bouncers.
"I would love nothing more than to be that guy," Labuschagne said during the build-up to Friday's series opener in Perth when asked if he was primed to fill pace all-rounder Caemron Green's bowling boots.
"But we've got to convince the Australian captain of that. We'll see, but there's nothing more enjoyable than bowling bouncers. I love it," Labuschagne added.
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