Cheteshwar Pujara played a massive role in India’s series wins in 2018-19 and 2020-21 in Australia. The Saurashtra batter who batted at No. 3 kept grinding the Australian bowlers which forced them to stay longer in the field and even come back for multiple spells. Marnus Labuschagne wants to emulate that in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Pujara was India’s rock at No. 3 in those two famous series victories. He was the player who faced the most number of balls in each of those two tours – 1258 balls in 2018-19 (521 runs) and 928 balls in 2020-21 (271 runs). A lot of Australian cricketers are happy with the fact that they won’t have to bowl to Pujara this time around.
Hence, Australia’s No. 3 acknowledged the importance of batting long and getting the bowlers to come back in their second and third spells. It could be crucial, given this is a five-match Test series. Labuschagne added that if they can get the bowlers to bowl in excess of 100-150 overs by the third Test, it could play a decisive role in a long series.
Labuschagne was the leading run-getter in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21. He amassed 426 runs at an average of 53.25 and faced 850 balls which is the second-most in that series by any batter. He has a stellar record at home in Test cricket, averaging 62.45 with nine tons.
“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. 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,” Marnus Labuschagne was quoted saying to ESPNCricinfo.
Inexperienced Indian pace attack
India’s pace battery is relatively short on experience. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are the only two fast bowlers who have played in Australia before. The latter has played only three Tests which was in 2020-21 while Bumrah has featured in seven Tests across two tours. The likes of Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy have not played a lot of Test cricket.
Deep has played only five Test matches, all of which have come at home. He has bowled more than 10 overs only twice in eight innings. Meanwhile, Krishna made his debut in South Africa last year and has featured in only that series where he bowled 28 overs across three innings. The other two have yet to make their Test debuts. Hence, it will be a big challenge for the young Indian pace attack.
