Marnus Labuschagne has set his sights on scoring his second double-century after going to stumps unbeaten on 154 after the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies at Perth Stadium.
“Whenever you’re not out overnight on 150 the next stop is 200,” Marnus said after Australia went to stumps at 2/293 with Steve Smith 59 not out.
“So it’s just going to be for me tomorrow, just if I’m able to stick to the process for long enough. If I do, I’m sure I’ll get there.
“But I have to put that out of your mind. You’ve just got to take it ball-by-ball and if the 200 does come, that’s great. But more importantly, I’m just trying to get as many runs as we can in this first innings and put the pressure on the West Indies.”
Labuschagne’s other double century is 215 against New Zealand almost three years ago.
He believes his upbringing on the hard and bouncy Gabba wicket in Brisbane helped him get through a tight first two sessions when the West Indies bowled with discipline.
Marnus Labuschagne swivels into a pull shot.Credit:Getty
“Growing up playing a lot at the Gabba really helps with that. Because you know there’s light at the end of the tunnel. You know you’ve got to put in the hard work early,” he said.
“Knowing the conditions obviously, playing in Brisbane with the bouncy conditions certainly helps. You just let the ball go. You understand the game tempo isn’t as fast as other venues. You know you’re not hitting as many balls, you’re letting a lot of balls go.
“So all those things really helped. And then, obviously, to be able to then come out after lunch and after the break and be able to put the pressure on.
“Obviously, they tried to amend their shorter length and bowl a bit fuller, which created a few more scoring options for us.”
Labuschagne and Smith are the hyperactive twins, always twitching while at the crease and with ideas. They bounce off each other and Labuschagne believes that helps their batting.
“I think we use each other really well,” he said. Whether it’s at training or in the middle, we’re just bouncing boards.
“Like today there were a few things where he’s like, ‘Oh, how’s it looking, what do you like?’ And for me, it’s just positive reinforcement. ‘Your bat path is looking good’. Or, you know, vice versa, if he’s seeing that I’m getting outside of my box, he’ll suddenly say, ‘just be patient’ or ‘watch the ball’.
“I think it’s like that in any partnership, but with me and Steve there’s probably a little bit more technical stuff as well. Just because we talk a lot about batting and it’s been well documented about his grip and how it feels and stuff like that.”
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