India’s fast bowling makes them a tough team to beat in Australian conditions: Marnus Labuschagne

Marnus Labuschagne and Mohammed Shami. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The rivalry between India and Australia especially in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has drawn massive attention from fans worldwide. Both the teams gear up to face each other for yet another prestigious series at the end of the year.

Australian star batter Marnus Labuschagne opened up about the key factors that make India a tough opponent on Australian soil, especially considering their fast bowling strength.

India has dominated the bilateral Test series against Australia for nearly a decade, securing consecutive 2-1 victories in 2018-19 and 2020-21 on Australian soil. The last time the Kangaroos won a bilateral series was back in the 2014-15 series. Labuschagne, a crucial middle-order batter, emphasized the impact of India’s pace attack.

“India’s fast bowling is very good, which is really what brings them in Australian conditions and makes them such a tough team to beat in Australian conditions,” Labuschagne told Star Sports.

Also read: Yashasvi Jaiswal reveals Gautam Gambhir’s effect on Team India

There is always high anticipation: Marnus Labuschagne

The 30-year-old revealed that throughout his career he wants to play against the best teams in the world and feels, India’s star-studded side always gives tough competition.

“There is always high anticipation. To these two teams, it doesn’t matter where we’re playing, if it’s in England, Australia, or India, it’s always a tough contest. I’ve always said throughout my whole career (that) I want to compete against the best and you look through the whole Indian line-up, the whole squad, there are absolute superstars everywhere,” he added.

The upcoming five-Test series, set to begin on November 22 in Perth, could potentially be a preview for the World Test Championship (WTC) final next year. With India currently leading the WTC table and Australia following closely, the tie is important for both sides in their respective cricketing calendars.

Also read – It is an incredible experience whenever I go out and bat with Rohit Sharma: Yashasvi Jaiswal

The Australian all-rounder Cameron Green mentioned the importance of this series keeping the WTC in mind.

“Every single point is pretty crucial for the World Test Championship. Anyway, you can kind of (or) get an idea of (to) how to get one up on your opponent, we’ll try and take. If it is a bit of a preview for a World Test Championship final again, yeah, we’ve been trying to get as much information out of India and see how we can win it again,” Green said.