I Am Disappointed For Not Getting A Big Score: Marnus Labuschagne

Marnus Labuschagne is left a bit disappointed after the play of Day 1 in Brisbane against India, despite scoring a hundred – his fifth in the last 9 Tests. Australia ended the first day with a score of 274/5 at the Gabba in the fourth and last Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series; they need to win the match in order to claim the trophy, otherwise, India would retain it if the match, and consequently the series is drawn.

With the support of Steve Smith and Matthew Wade at the other end, Marnus Labuschagne notched up his three-figure score. Labuschagne is upset with himself for getting out for 108 – Australia’s score of 213 – and not carrying batting forward to convert his hundred into a ‘really big’ one. Tim Paine and Cameron Green may have forged a 61-run unbeaten partnership, but the match hangs in balance.

“I think, I am definitely disappointed not going on and getting a really big score, which would have put us in a better position as a team. Any Test century, it doesn’t matter who it is against or against what opposition, you want to make sure you are scoring hundreds, and probably for me (it was) today it was disappointing that I did not end up making that a really big hundred,” Marnus Labuchagne said in the virtual post-match press-conference.

Indian bowlers were very disciplined: Marnus Labuschagne

However, batting wasn’t easy for Marnus Labuschagne as the young Indian bowling attack kept bowling tightly and didn’t give too many bad balls. After Australia lost both the openers, Labuschagne and Steve Smith steadied the innings.

While Smith was fluent in his strokeplay against an inexperienced Indian attack, Marnus Labuschagne struggled for runs and wasn’t quite as free-flowing as he always is. Going into lunch, Australia’s number 3 had scored 19 runs from 82 balls. However, after lunch, Smith was dismissed, and Labuschagne and Matthew Wade scored runs freely.

The right-hander survived the first session – he was dropped by Ajinkya Rahane on 37 – and then cashed on his good work later in the day. He lauds the Indian bowling – who had an experience of total 4 Tests – for keeping the scoring in check with their disciplined lines and lengths.

“So, it was sort of a matter of discipline early on, especially in the first session and half, making sure you get yourself in, you get the pace of the wicket. So that you can really cash in when the bowlers are a little bit tired and there are a bit cooked,” Marnus Labuschagne added.

“Indian bowling attacks, they are very disciplined and doesn’t matter who is bowling, they are very planned, they are very strategic and we saw that today with their bowling attack. They were disciplined early and did not give us many of those scoring opportunities in the first session,” the right-hander said.

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