“He plays under a lot of pressure”, Mohammed Siraj enjoyed the verbal duel with Marnus Labuschagne

There was definitely a verbal duel between Marnus Labuschagne and Mohammed Siraj, who was having a go at him with bouncers.

“He plays under a lot of pressure”, Mohammed Siraj enjoyed the verbal duel with Marnus Labuschagne

"He plays under a lot of pressure", Mohammed Siraj enjoyed the verbal duel with Marnus Labuschagne (Via X)

Team India made history beating the Australian cricket Team by 295 runs in the first of the five-match Test series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 at the Optus stadium in Perth. They became the first side to beat the Aussies in a Test in this new stadium. There were some spectacular bowling performances and also some batting masterclasses. However, one thing that caught the eye of everyone was the on-field duel between Marnus Labuschagne and Mohammed Siraj.

Marnus did not get going in both innings of this Test match and struggled very badly. Siraj was having a go at him with bouncers and also some stares.

YouTube video

There was definitely a verbal duel between the batter and the fast bowler. Now, Siraj has opened up about having a go at Marnus in the Perth Test.

I loved bowling to Marnus, enjoyed the battle because he plays under a lot of pressure. He tries to leave a lot of deliveries rather than trying to play at them. He defends and tries to show that he is confident. That is not really confidence. And my confidence is always high (laughs)

Mohammed Siraj told Star Sports

Marnus scored just two runs off 52 deliveries in the first innings and scored just three runs in the second innings. He has faced lean form batting at number three in a string of matches of late. There have been calls for him to be dropped in the upcoming Day/Night Test match in Adelaide starting on December 6.

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Michael Clarke feels that Marnus Labuschagne won’t be dropped in the second Test

Michael Clarke feels that although there are talks of Marnus getting dropped in the second Test, the team management will give him yet another chance in the Adelaide Test. The former Aussie captain feels that Marnus is Australia‘s best bet at number three.

Michael Clarke feels that Marnus Labuschagne won't be dropped in the second Test despite calls for him to get dropped
Michael Clarke feels that Marnus Labuschagne won’t be dropped in the second Test despite calls for him to get dropped (Via X)

He said that Australia’s number three batter can turn it around in the second Test.

I know there’s a lot of talk about Marnus being dropped, but I hope they give him another crack. I still think he’s our best option [at No.3]. I think he’s a very good player who’s out of form, but I think he can turn that around if he gets his preparation right and looks after his mind, probably even gets away from the game for a couple of days in the lead-up to this second Test.

Michael Clarke said per ESPNCricinfo
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Meanwhile, India needs to win four Test matches in this series to have any chance of qualifying for the WTC final without depending on others. Australia haven’t been able to win the BGT since 2014/15 and have lost four on the trot. They will hope to make a comeback in the Day/Night Test.