“India’s fast bowling quartet is very good” – Marnus Labuschagne points out what makes India favorites in Australia ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Marnus Labuschagne believes India are the favorite in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year for a hat-trick of series wins Down Under. He reckons that their fast bowling holds the key to exploiting the Australian conditions.
The right-handed batter, however, has backed the hosts to ‘turn the tables’ this time in search of their first Test series win against India in the last 10 years. Notably, India won the tournament 2-1 by the same margin in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
Labuschagne said to Star Sports:
“India’s fast bowling quartet is very good, which is really what brings them in Australian conditions and make them such a tough team to beat in Australian conditions. Hopefully, this summer we can turn the tables on India and put them under real pressure.”
Notably, Jasprit Bumrah has gone from strength to strength across all formats. The speedster has bagged 159 wickets in 36 Tests, including 10 five-wicket hauls. In Australia, he has bagged 32 wickets in seven Tests. He will be critical to India’s success as they aim for a hat-trick of series win on Australian soil later this year.
Apart from Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami have also been excellent in Australia. Shami has scalped 31 wickets in eight Tests, including two fifers, while Siraj has bagged 13 wickets in three Tests, comprising a five-wicket haul. The trio are likely to be joined by a fourth seamer in the five-match series.
Meanwhile, Labuschagne has amassed 4114 runs in 50 Tests at an average of 49.57 with the help of three centuries. He enjoys a decent track record against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 775 runs in 10 Tests (19 innings), including one ton and three half-centuries.
“There’s always high anticipation” – Marnus Labuschagne looking forward to Border-Gavaskar Test series
Marnus Labuschagne also spoke about the hype of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy regardless of the venue. He said:
“Both India and Australia love the game and they are at the top of their game at the moment. The energy when these two teams play together is always high. There’s always high anticipation. It doesn’t matter where we are playing, if it’s in England, Australia or India. It’s always a tough contest.”
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will kick start in Perth from November 22 onwards. The action will then shift to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney for the remaining four Tests.