‘He’s trying to bowl the ball before I’m ready’ - Marnus Labuschagne opens up on his mind battles with Ravichandran Ashwin

Ahead of the fourth match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, star Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne opened up on facing Ravichandran Ashwin in Test cricket. Calling it a game of chess, the top-order batter revealed how Ashwin changed his bowling run in the third match in order to get under his skin. 

Explaining it further, Labuschagne stated that the 36-year-old tried to go at him when he was not ready. He even pulled away at the very last moment quite a few times before mentioning it to umpire Joel Wilson as India skipper Rohit Sharma too got involved. 

“He turned to a short run and I wasn’t watching because I had the rhythm of his run-up, so my routine stays to that rhythm. So I was like ‘I’m not facing up because I’m going to look down and then he’s going to bowl the ball’. I did it a few times, just pulled away. Then Joel came down and said, ‘You have to face up when he’s ready’ and I said ‘happy to face up Joel, but he’s trying to bowl the ball before I’m ready’,” Labuschagne told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald ahead of the Ahmedabad Test.

“It’s just the chess, the caginess, just trying to get you out of the rhythm of what he’s bowling. I credit him because I could sense the momentum of the game was shifted or potentially gone, but he’s so cagey and so good at the small things,” the 28-year-old added.

It’s great cricket and great theatre: Labuschagne

The Australia batter revealed that he enjoys the rivalry with Ravichandran Ashwin. Calling it great cricket and great theatre, Marnus Labuschagne stated that he appreciates what Ashwin tries to do on a cricket field and that’s why he always has a smile on his face.

“That’s why I’ve always got a smile on my face out there. I appreciate where he’s coming from. I understand, hence I’m not facing up, because I know what you’re trying to do. It’s great cricket and great theatre,” Labuschagne mentioned.

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