As England look to replicate the success that India enjoyed in Australia last summer, the home team’s middle-order bat Marnus Labuschagne says he is aware they could be following some of the bowling plans that the Indians executed to perfection.
Taking cue from New Zealand’s struggles Down Under a summer earlier, India’s then bowling coach Bharat Arun asked his bowlers to try and completely cut out the off-side for Aussie batters and bowl straight with more cover through the on-side.
Labuschagne made a slow start to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as Indian seamers brought the ball into him sharply with two square leg fielders positioned quite often.
The batter eventually found a way to score a ton at the Gabba in the last Test but is mindful of those initial struggles and is prepared in case England replicate that ploy in the Ashes.
“They certainly can try. India are very used to bowling those plans, that comes second nature to them. Bowling straight on lower bouncing wickets, up and down where it’s reversing,”
“In England, traditionally, they’re bowling a little bit wider. I can’t tell you what they’re going to bring, but I can just prepare for everything that might be thrown at me.”
Labuschagne was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
The forthcoming Ashes will also be the first time that Labuschagne comes face to face with England’s swing maestro James Anderson in Test cricket.
Anderson missed most of the Ashes back in 2019 when Labuschagne made his return to the Test side as a concussion substitute and hasn’t looked back since.
“I really can’t wait for that challenge to face Jimmy. You don’t take that many wickets and be England’s best ever without being quality,”
he said.
Since that Lord’s Test, Labuschagne has gone on to become a rock in the Australian batting. The batter has now piled on 1,885 runs from his 18 Tests with an astonishing average of 60.80.
In Australia, that average rockets up to 72.55 across 12 Tests. He’ll be eyeing a bumper Ashes series as Australia look to keep the coveted urn with them. The five-match series begins next on December 8 in Brisbane.
