Enjoyed the battle because Labuschagne plays under a lot of pressure: Mohammed Siraj. (Source – BCCI)
The first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 was everything the series is known for. India orchestrated the heist at the Optus Stadium and Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli scored Tons. But other than these statistical milestones, there was an on-field scuffle for which the series is widely known for.
Certain individual rivalries such as the famous Kohli-Johnson saga are part of the BGT. But the first Test gave birth to a new rivalry in the form of Mohammed Siraj and Marnus Labuschagne. Labuschagne was struggling to get going and Siraj was unleashing a barrage of bouncers. He even tried to get hold of the batter through intense stares and some spicy verbal exchange.
“I loved bowling to Marnus, enjoyed the battle because he plays under a lot of pressure. He tries to leave a lot of deliveries rather than trying to play at them. He defends and tries to show that he is confident. That is not really confidence. And my confidence is always high (laughs),” said Siraj to Star Sports.
Also Read: Siraj bids emotional farewell to RCB
I hope they give Marnus another crack: Michael Clarke
Speaking of Labuschagne, he comes into the first back-on-the-back splendid record at the Optus Stadium. Before the Indian assignment, he had scored over 500 runs in three games at an average of around 105 laced with a double ton and a century. He had a miserable outing, but former Australia skipper, Michael Clarke has differed from opinionated rumours where Labuschagne’s chances of playing second Test look slim.
“I know there’s a lot of talk about Marnus being dropped, but I hope they give him another crack. I still think he’s our best option [at No.3]. I think he’s a very good player who’s out of form, but I think he can turn that around if he gets his preparation right and looks after his mind, probably even gets away from the game for a couple of days in the lead-up to this second Test,” Clarke said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.