"It almost felt like a chess game" - Marnus Labuschagne on facing Ravichandran Ashwin
World number one Test batter Marnus Labuschagne believes India's Ravichandran Ashwin has the ability to work out his opposition well and said he relished his seesaw battle against the off-spinner.
The right-hander added that he hopes to get some wood over Ashwin when he faces him in India.
Ashwin troubled Labuschagne during the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy series Down Under, claiming his wicket twice. The veteran off-spinner performed admirably well in the three Tests he played, taking 12 scalps to help the tourists win the series.
Speaking to Sportstar, Labuschagne observed that Ashwin had picked up some vital aspects of his batting, making him earn his runs. The 27-year old recollected both of them needing to adapt consistently to stay in the match.
"He is very good at assessing batsmen, and that's why I have enjoyed facing him. He has picked up some things I do when I play certain shots. What I loved most about Ashwin was the fields he had for me and how I was trying to move the field in my endeavour to score runs.
"Just the way both of us were able to chop and change in the middle of an engrossing passage. It almost felt like a chess game. He bowled beautifully in Melbourne... got a few early wickets with the leg slip."
In a recent interview with Cricket Monthly, Ashwin revealed that he had drawn certain cues from the Aussie's batting by observing everything minutely.
The 35-year old stated that Labuschagne had a few shots in his repertoire for an off-spinner to hit them out of the attack.
"Smith and I played him well in Sydney" - Marnus Labuschagne
However, the South Africa-born batter admitted that he and Steve Smith outplayed Ashwin in Sydney.
He acknowledged that the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) was better to bat on than Melbourne and Adelaide due to a lack of variable bounce.
"Smith and I played him well in Sydney. We've got a few subcontinent tours before my next trip to India, and hopefully, I can challenge myself in those conditions. I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
"In Sydney, the wicket was better, you could trust the bounce and play those leg-side shots... it wasn't so much a tactical change from Melbourne to Sydney as the conditions got better for batting and we were able to bat freely on the on side."
Marnus Labuschagne wants to emulate his cricketing idols! https://t.co/RmAD7SpF25
Marnus Labuschagne, along with Australia, are set to embark on a historic tour of Pakistan next month. Their visit comprises three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I, beginning on March 4.