'You Have To Lift Your Game Because He's Lifted His Game'

Marnus Labuschagne had a tremendous start to his Test career as in each game, Australia's number three scored heaps of runs to give his team an advantage until he met India's Ravichandran Ashwin. 

During the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy, Ashwin got Labuschagne out twice in 184 deliveries while conceding 99 runs. The Indian off-spinner continuously challenged him and Steve Smith even on decks that offered little to nothing for his type of bowlers. 

In an interview with Cricbuzz, Labuschagne talked in depths about his encounter with Ashwin in Australia and how the game tactics kept going throughout the series. 

"I've always been quite good at hitting the ball through there. It's just more of a tactical decision. As simple as it is, you've got to try and hit the ball where there's the least number of fielders. Now in those times you're speaking about, Ashwin had a 6-3 field on the leg-side. He only had point, cover and slip. And so, the obvious option was giving yourself space and try and pick your runs through the covers. Just doing whatever it takes really to score through the off-side," Labuschagne said.

"The reason Ashwin's record is so good is because he's a tremendous thinker of the game. So, he's always thinking about how he can get you out. About what you are doing. And so what he's doing to counter that? And then he seems to go, "Ok now I'm going to change, so that you're going to do this." That's what makes him really good. Now, not all bowlers are like that. There are other bowlers who have really good deliveries and can bowl really well but that thinking of getting you out, that's an acquired skill," the world's top rank test batter added. 

"On some wickets, it's easy. Because you just need to put the ball there and the wicket will do the work. But I think Ashwin has played on plenty of wickets where he's had to create the work, he's had to create the angles, come tight or come wide. And that's why it's really good to play against guys like Ashwin. You obviously have to lift your game because he's lifted his game."