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Australia's Labuschagne Plans To Give India Taste Of The 'Pujara Medicine' In BGT

Muskaan Bhatt

Marnus Labuschagne, Cheteshwar Pujara (Source: @cricket.com.au, @sujeetsuman1991/x.com)Marnus Labuschagne, Cheteshwar Pujara (Source: @cricket.com.au, @sujeetsuman1991/x.com)

Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne wants to play the "long game" to wear down India's pace attack, similar to how veteran Cheteshwar Pujara did in the past two Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Pujara's Grit And Resilience

In the 2018-19 series, Pujara faced 1,258 balls across seven innings, scoring three centuries as he wore down an unchanged Australian bowling attack throughout the four-Test series, helping India secure a famous victory Down Under.

The Indian batter, known for his solid defence, used a similar approach in the 2020-21 series, facing 928 balls — the most by any batter in the series — as he once again contributed to another memorable win for the tourists.

Marnus' "Master Pujara Plan"

Labuschagne plans to use a similar strategy. The right-hander feels that keeping India's relatively inexperienced pace attack, aside from Jasprit Bumrah, on the field for as long as possible could be the key for the hosts in the five-Test series beginning here on Friday.

"It's going to be important for all of us. I think the way we play, we're at our best when we're playing the long game," Labuschagne was quoted as saying by 'ESPNCricinfo'.

"We understand that getting them back for their second and third spells, putting them under pressure and letting them come to us and us putting pressure back on them through overs in the field and time in the game, especially over a five-Test series, that's really important. Because as you get into the third, fourth, fifth Test, if they're trying to play the same team, and those bowlers are rolling into 100, 150, 200 overs by the third Test, it's going to make a big difference in the series," he added.

Labuschagne, who bowls medium pace as well as leg spin, bowled a barrage of bouncers to skipper Pat Cummins and pacer Mitchell Starc at the nets on Monday as he gears up for the upcoming first Test against India at Perth.

[With PTI Inputs]