Anticipation Rises: Marnus Labuschagne Gears Up for Chess Battle with Ravichandran Ashwin
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is just around the corner and the cricketing world is buzzing with excitement. India and Australia will start their four-match Test series on Thursday at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. There are many exciting matchups to look forward to, but one battle that promises to be particularly intriguing is that between Marnus Labuschagne and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Labuschagne on Ashwin
Marnus Labuschagne, the Australian opener, had earlier stated that facing Ashwin is like a “lovely game of chess”. In response to Rajasthan Royals’ tweet of his statement, Labuschagne expressed that he “can’t wait” to take on the veteran Indian spinner.
Ashwin dismissed Labuschagne twice, but Labuschagne still topped the run-scoring charts in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He recorded 426 runs at an average of 53.25. Labuschagne has praised Ashwin in the past and has even adapted his game in preparation for the upcoming series.
In an interview with cricket.com.au, he stated that he has changed some of his game to counteract Ashwin’s strategies. The 28-year-old added that he started preparing for the India tour right after the 2020-21 home series and that he can’t wait for the “lovely game of chess”.
Australia’s Preparation
Australia has taken extra measures to prepare for the threat posed by Ashwin. Fans react to the tourists who were seen practicing against Ashwin’s “duplicate” in the nets. The Australians are facing a tough challenge with India’s veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin was one of the top performers during India’s recent Test series wins in Australia.
The battle between Marnus Labuschagne and Ravichandran Ashwin promises to be an exciting and closely contested one. With Labuschagne having adapted his game in preparation for Ashwin and Australia taking extra measures to prepare, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Excitement is expected for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. The match-up between Labuschagne and Ashwin is one to keep an eye on.
