Manus wants to play long game and pull off a Pujara

Perth: 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.

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. 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.

Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood is pretty happy that he will not have to bowl to India Test veteran Cheteshwar Pujara , beginning here on Friday.

The Indian team has moved on from the likes of Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, both of whom played a major hand in ensuring the visitors’ back-to-back win Down Under four years ago.

Besides Pujara, Rishabh Pant was another player who stood out in the previous series. His unbeaten 89 in the fourth and final Test in Brisbane will go down as one of the greatest knocks by an Indian. Hazlewood feels it is important to have a flexible approach against explosive batters like Pant. “Against such batters, you need Plan B and C if things go south. It is important to have different plans.