The Indian Bowling Is Posing A Great Challenge And We Are Loving It: Marnus Labuschagne

Australian right-handed Australia batsman, Marnus Labuschagne feels that his side should have scored more runs, but at the same time compliments the Indian bowlers for keeping a lid on the scoreboard. Australia was bowled out for 195 on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test.

Tim Paine won the toss and elected to bat first on what looked like a good batting surface, but with decent seam movement to help the bowlers also. India exploited the help from the pitch as the hosts found themselves struggling at 38/3.

Marnus Labuchagne and Travis Head conjured a 86 run partnership but both batsmen departed in tandem after lunch. Wickets kept falling regularly and the home side fell 5 runs short of 200.

In reply, India ended the day at 36/1. Debutant Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara hold fort after losing Mayank Agarwal in the first over of the innings.

Indian bowlers came up with new ideas to stop scoring: Marnus Labuschagne

In the post-match conference, Labuschagne praised the Indian bowlers for bowling tight lines and lengths. However, he feels that some of their batsmen threw away their wickets- Matthew Wade got out to a rash shot trying to take on Ravichandran Ashwin; Labuschagne himself was a tad unfortunate to hit a ball straight to leg gully- after being set on 48.

“Certainly, we could have done better. We probably had three dismissals we did not probably need to. They (Indians) were bowling straight and (we are) not getting many runs on the off-side. Bowlers come up with new ideas to stop scoring, built pressure as they did today. I faced 130 balls (or) something (like that). That is the challenge we face as a batting group and we love it,” Labuschagne told Sony Networks.

The 26-year-old also lauded the shrewdness of Ravichandran Ashwin, who took three wickets including that of Steve Smith. The off-spinner first got rid of Wade, then dismissed Smith for the second time in the series, and also scalped out Aussie skipper, Tim Paine.

“People are coming up with new ways like a leg-side field, bowled straight. (We) are just understanding and learning what he is doing. That is the key. We always do that as a batting group and keep better from learning,” he added.

Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin Achieves Another Grand Milestone, Breaks Anil Kumble’s Record Of The Most 3-Fers By An Indian Spinner In Australia