NEW DELHI: Australia’s star batter Marnus Labuschagne emphasized India’s formidable fast bowling attack as a significant factor in making them a tough opponent in Australian conditions, ahead of the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With India having dominated the series over the past decade, Australia are looking to end their barren run dating back to the 2014-15 series.
The first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is scheduled to commence on November 22 in Perth. Australia aims to regain the upper hand and move closer to securing a place in the WTC final.
Labuschagne, in an interview with Star Sports, stated that India’s fast bowling depth has been a key to their recent success Down Under. “India’s fast bowling is very good, which really brings them into Australian conditions and makes them such a tough team to beat here,” he said.
He also commented on the intense rivalry between the two teams. “There is always high anticipation. No matter where we’re playing—whether it’s England, Australia, or India—it’s always a tough contest,” Labuschagne added.
India have won every bilateral Test series against Australia since losing 1-2 in the 2014-15 series. They secured back-to-back 2-1 victories in 2018-19 and 2020-21 on Australian soil.
Australian spinner Nathan Lyon praised the Indian team for its depth and acknowledged their star players, specifically mentioning Ravichandran Ashwin.
“It’s been an absolute privilege to play against him and learn off him,” Lyon said, calling Ashwin a “master in the craft of off-spin bowling.” He expressed his excitement to renew their on-field rivalry.
Australian all-rounder Cameron Green suggested that the upcoming five-Test series could serve as a precursor to the World Test Championship (WTC) final, scheduled to be held at Lord’s next June. India currently lead the WTC standings for the 2023-25 cycle with 68.52 percentage points, followed by Australia at 62.50 percentage points.
“Every single point is pretty crucial for the World Test Championship,” Green remarked. “If this series turns out to be a preview for the WTC final, we’ll be trying to gather as much information about India and see how we can win it again.”
India have participated in both WTC finals since the championship’s inception but have come up short, losing to New Zealand in 2021 and Australia in 2023.
