“We certainly show the latest game, no matter how many you have, you are in the game”
Marnus Labuschagne has admitted that Australia’s higher order has been struggling with the fact that India has appeared for the Test series with multiple highly evolved plans to confuse them, after they were eliminated for 195 on Boxing Day to follow a first entry of only 191 in the first test in Adelaide.
Go back to November 1984, when Australia was being swept away by the West Indies on the way to Kim Hughes’ resignation as captain, for the last time they failed to reach 200 in consecutive first innings; they were eliminated by 76 in Perth and then 175 in Brisbane. The fact that the record is even in the season in which the Australians hoped to regain batting initiative against India after struggling without Steven Smith and David Warner in 2018-19 says a lot about how India has approached its task, the sporting nature. of the pitches at Adelaide Oval and the MCG, but also the wasteful nature of some layoffs.
“We had three innocuous layoffs, which we probably didn’t need,” Labuschagne said. “Just three frustrating layoffs, and I think those three guys were ready and in. It’s a great job of our hitting group, whoever the day is, whether it’s me or anyone else in the higher order, which we do for sure. we get the great scores.
“You just know you’re going to have to brace yourself and hit for periods of time. They’re bowling in straight lines, you’re not getting a lot of runs on the other side, so this is the art of test cricket, this is why We all love it. Because it’s a continual challenge for bowlers to come up with new ideas to prevent hitters from scoring and creating pressure, and that’s what they did today. “
Labuschagne, in a 132-ball run worth 48 runs, came close to fully establishing himself in both events, but even he has struggled much harder than last summer, when Pakistan and New Zealand seemed lacking in ways to beat him. At the same time, Smith’s scores of 1 and 0 are his worst first-inning scores to begin a series of tests.
“There was a bit more to it, the ball closed up and you even saw it swing at the 50 mark, which is something you probably don’t normally see here at MCG at the time.”
Marnus Labuschagne
“Something that we are realizing very quickly is that people are coming up with new ways, thinking about the game slightly differently,” Labuschagne said. “Obviously today, they came out with a heavy field on the sides of the legs and they threw very straight and they didn’t give us any option to score on the opposite side.
“So for all of our hitters, they have to keep rolling with the punches, learning the game, understanding what they’re doing and taking those innings into innings. I think that’s the key. As long as we do it as a hitting group and learn from that. , we will continue to improve and learn. “
Looking ahead to the rest of the game, Labuschagne put plenty of room on the Australian side bowlers to keep them in the competition, given the movement available. “We are in the game,” Labuschagne said. “We certainly show the last game no matter how many you have in the game. It’s quite difficult for me to make an assessment on the wicket currently, both of you will have to hit the wicket to see how both teams hit.
“There was a little bit more to him, the ball closed and you even saw it swing at the 50th mark, which is something you probably don’t normally see here at MCG at the time. We have to make sure we adapt and whatever. get it, we get a great score on the second dig. “
As for the hit to the helmet of the speedy Mohammed Siraj, Labuschagne said he had not felt any prolonged effects. “Not at all,” he said. “I’m very used to getting hit on the head so shake it off and keep going.”
Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @danbrettig
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