Australia’s Test mainstay Marnus Labuschagne said that playing against Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ‘felt like a chess game’. The two locked horns during the Border-Gavaskar series last year. 

Labuschagne, who is currently the No 1 Test batsman, praised Ashwin’s ability to assess the batsman. The off-spinner is India’s third-highest wicket taker in the longest format with 430 wickets. He trails Kapil Dev by four scalps. During the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar series, the 35-year-old picked 12 wickets and was one of India’s top performers. He is also amoung the seven bowlers to dismiss Labuschagne two or more times.

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He is very good at assessing batsmen, and that’s why I have enjoyed facing him,” Labuschagne told Sportstar in an interview.

He further added that Ashwin bowled beautifully in Melbourne.

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“What I loved most about Ashwin was the fields he had for me and how I was trying to move the field in my endeavour to score runs. Just the way both of us were able to chop and change in the middle of an engrossing passage. It almost felt like a chess game. He bowled beautifully in Melbourne… got a few early wickets with the leg slip,” the Aussie added. 

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Australia are set to tour India in 2023 for four Test matches, three ODIs and as many T20Is. 

However, Labuschagne believes that the team’s sub-continent tours prior to the series will help the team prepare for the Indian conditions. 

“We’ve got a few subcontinent tours before my next trip to India, and hopefully, I can challenge myself in those conditions. I have a few tricks up my sleeve,” he said.