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David Warner feels that marnus Labuschagne was nowhere near his peak form despite his 64-run knock in the Adelaide Test.
IND vs AUS: Marnus Labuschagne plays a shot (AP)
Former Australian cricketer, David Warner was unimpressed with Marnus Labuschagne’s gritty 64-run knock in the Adelaide Test. Following Usman Khawaja’s early dismissal, Labuschagne anchored Australia’s first innings at the Adelaide Oval. He smashed nine boundaries before losing his wicket to Nitish Kumar Reddy. While many fans and pundits were impressed with the 30-year-old’s batting display, Warner opined that Labuschagne was nowhere near his peak form. “I’m still not convinced with Marnus. I don’t think that was anywhere near what we know he’s capable of,” Warner told the Herald Sun.
Marnus Labuschagne was under heavy scrutiny heading into the pink-ball Test. He had managed to score just five runs across two innings in the first test. The right-handed batter found his footing in Adelaide as he helped Australia take a 157-run lead over India. David Warner believes Labusgane got a few loose deliveries from the visitors enabling him to smash a half-century. “He might have got a couple out of the middle, got a couple of freebies, batted well that night to get through but they bowled poorly. From that perspective, he had the best conditions to come out and bat in. But he got out the same way he always does get out when he gets over 50, hits it straight to gully,” he said.
David Warner also shared his opinion on Steve Smith’s recent struggles in red-ball cricket. “Steve, of late, I think many teams have been bowling at his pads and down the leg side. So, I think from that perspective, they’re trying to shut his scoring down quite a bit. You see, he’s trying to tinker with fixing certain things with Bumrah. His feet weren’t moving across this time,” he said. Warner then claimed that the Test veteran needed just one knock to return to form. “We know what Steve’s like, one knock and then he’s there,” the retired opener added.
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Despite struggles in the team’s top order, Australia managed to level the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-1 in Adelaide. A stellar bowling performance from Mitchell Starc kept India humble on Day 1 of the Test. Travis Head made an impact during Australia’s innings as he scored 140 runs in just 141 deliveries. Head smashed 17 boundaries and four sixes in the game.
All eyes will now turn to the third test of the series, scheduled to begin at The Gabba on December 14. Fans eagerly await to see which side will take the series lead in Brisbane.
