Don’t write off champions: Nathan Lyon on Kohli’s recent batting slump
The Australian team must be hoping to take advantage of Virat Kohli’s prolonged batting slump when the two sides clash in the five-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar trophy
Just below the “Big Three” of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson in the ICC Test rankings for batters, Marnus Labuschagne feels his secret to quicksilver success is focusing on the process and not thinking of the result.
Currently ranked fourth in the ICC Test rankings, Australia’s newfound Number 3 started the year in 110th place. But following scores of 63 and 19 in Australia’s 247-run win in the Boxing Day Test and with three hundreds already to his name in 13 Tests, there is no stopping for the 25-year old.
“I just keeping it process-driven and not on results,” Labuschagne told Cricket Australia’s official website after the Pert Test against New Zealand.
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“Making sure that every innings I come in with a clear mind and making sure I’m playing what’s in front of me and not what’s happened in the past and not what I want to achieve — it’s right in the moment.
“Apart from that, I’m just loving it.
“It’s a great team to be a part of and the way we’re playing at the moment is really enjoyable.”
Labuschagne’s rise started from the Ashes when he was used as Test cricket’s first-ever concussion substitute.
Filling in for Steve Smith, Labuschagne posted a gritty 59 in the second innings at Lord’s and did not look back since with 353 runs at 50 as Australia retained the urn in a 2-2 series draw.
At home in Australia, he racked up scores of 185, 162, 143, 50, 63 and 19 against Pakistan and New Zealand.
With 1,104 runs in 17 Test innings, Labuschagne ended the year as the highest run-scorer in Tests. In fact, he was the only batsman in 2019 to score 1,000 runs in Test cricket.
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