Marnus Laubuschgane wants to play the "long game" and pull off a Pujara

Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne wants to play the Test match to dominate the Indian bowlers just like how Cheteshwar Pujara did in the past two Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

In the 2018-19 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India`s Test specialist, Cheteshwar Pujara played 1,258 deliveries across seven innings. He smashed three centuries and dominated the unchanged set of Australian bowling attacks throughout the four-Test series, helping India secure a famous victory Down Under.

He used a similar approach in the 2020-21 Test series by facing 928 balls, the most by any batsman in the series as he once again contributed to another memorable win for the tourists.

Marnus Labuschagne plans to use a similar strategy. The right-hander 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 was quoted as saying by `ESPNCricinfo`.

Also Read: Border-Gavaskar Trophy | “You might see Shami here as well”: Jasprit Bumrah

“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,” he added. 

Bumrah will be supported by the likes of Mohammed Siraj and the trio of Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy, all playing their debut series in Australia. Labuschagne, who bowls medium pace as well as leg spin, 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`.

“There`s nothing more enjoyable than bowling bouncers. I love it. “There was a bit worry. When I bowled I think about 28 overs of pace in a Shield game, and my workloads were zero before then, so some would say that`s a big spike. But my body`s pretty durable.

“It`s something that I`ve done from a young age. I`ve always bowled pace.” The 30-year-old will like nothing more than bowl bouncers. “I would love nothing more than to be that guy.”

Marnus Labuschagne said during the build-up to Friday`s series opener in Perth when asked if he was primed to fill pace all-rounder Cameron 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.

(With PTI Inputs)