Unlike the tour in 2018/19, Australia will have a full squad when the India team meet them in 2020. Players like David Warner and Steve Smith will be part of the eleven during the series in 2020. They missed the contest 2018/19 due to a ban on ball handling. Their inclusion will greatly strengthen Australians as they are one of the most consistent batsmen in world cricket. On top of that, another Australian hitter has consolidated his position on the team over the past few years.
Marnus Labuschagne has been a revelation in test cricket since his 2018 debut against Pakistan. He has played 14 rounds for Australia and has scored 1,459 runs with an impressive 63.43 average. It will be one of the main targets for Indian bowlers when the series kicks off on December 17th.
Speaking of the Australian team, KL Rahul praised Labuschagne but refused to call him an unknown entity.
“I don’t think I’m a stranger already. He’s in the top 5 and has been getting a lot of runs in the last 12-15 months or before COVID in the games he played. It has been very consistent on his side.
“We have seen how Marnus played and fingers crossed hopefully he won’t score as many runs against us. We will have a plan in place, we have a high quality bowling attack, so it will be a good challenge for him and also for our players. “
The label of being a power hitter is highly sought after in international cricket, but Rahul has no qualms about admitting that he doesn’t fit the bill and he doesn’t long for it either.
Known for his classic hitting, Rahul said that even if he has to score with a high strike rate of 160-170, he can do it without the blitzkrieg.
“I wouldn’t call my hitting hitting power, that’s something that I honestly feel like I haven’t been able to do or not what I’m lucky enough to do,” Rahul said on the eve of the white ball series against Australia starting with the first ODI on Friday.
“I am blessed with certain abilities and I try to play the role that I feel the team demands of me to play at that particular time. If that means scoring runs with a 160-170 strike index, I try to do the best I can and if it’s the other way around, I’ll try to do it, ”he added.
He has not regularly played 50+ cricket with India except for the last year and is happy to be in a situation where he has been in good shape when it comes to cue ball cricket.
“…. I have never had a career as long as this. So yeah, it feels good to be contributing to the team’s victory and playing my role quite well. Happy to be able to perform consistent performances ”. On a lighter note, Rahul said it has been forgotten that during the last ODI series in New Zealand, he got a hundred.
“… In fact, I’ve forgotten the last innings I played and scored a hundred in New Zealand (century at Mount Mangnui in February),” he said.
“… it’s a new beginning for everyone and, like I said, it’s important for us as a team to start well and enjoy being in the middle.”
Rahul also feels his IPL teammate Glenn Maxwell is equally dangerous, calling him a great team man.
“Yes, of course he (Maxwell) will be (dangerous). That is one of the reasons we chose him in our IPL franchise because he is a quality player.
“He’s a weapons outfielder, he’s always there to support his teammates. He will be eager to go out in the Australian colors and perform for his country as well.
(with PTI inputs)
.
