Marnus Labuschagne may average 428 after six days of Test cricket against the West Indies but on Thursday the prolific Queensland accumulator felt like he was playing a different game.
The opening day of Adelaide’s traditional day-night Test with a pink ball had Labuschagne recalibrating his approach, despite coming off a double century and an unbeaten century from the first Test in Perth last week.
Marnus Labuschagne of Australia bats during day one of the Second Test Match in the series between Australia and the West Indies.Credit:Getty
“I feel like the pink ball can be a bit two-paced,” Labuschagne said after Australia went to stumps at 3/330. He was unbeaten on 120 and Travis Head 114 not out.
“Some were holding in the wicket. [Rolton] Chase bowled a cross seam delivery that sat in the wicket and took a little bit of a divot, and then he bowled another one that skidded through lower.
“I just don’t pick the ball up as well or as early. Sometimes people say ‘are you being real patient?’ It’s just because when you’re not seeing the ball beautifully and you can’t see the seam and the rhythm and the swing.
“It’s very hard to then pick up balls to cut or pull. So you just narrow it down and go ‘right, I’ll just watch the stumps and play down here until you play more’ and you get the rhythm of the wicket and the bounce.
Travis Head of Australia celebrates making his century with Marnus Labuschagne of Australia during day one.Credit:Getty
“Obviously in Perth you can pick that up earlier and then that’s where you can score a bit more freely. You take the ball on the up and see it out of the hand.”
As such there were times when Labuschagne had to work hard for his runs despite a depleted West Indian attack which was further weakened when fly-in replacement Marquino Mindley walked off after just two overs holding his right hamstring.
“I think my discipline was very good. I stuck to my process really well … In terms of being fluid and feeling like I’m smacking the ball, it didn’t really feel like that.”
While the comfortable crowd of 24,449 appreciated Marnus’s significant contribution, they were in raptures when home town hero Travis Head brought up his century. It was the biggest first day crowd at an Adelaide Test against the West Indies since 30,121 turned up in 1982.
Marnus Labuschagne of Australia walks from the field at the end of play.Credit:Getty
Labuschagne has been playing against or with Head since they first clashed at an under 12s national carnival and he loves the way the aggressive left-hander plays.
“He’s always been able to change the game,” Labuschagne said of Head. “I’ve played many games against Travis where we’ve got South Australia on the ropes, and Travis comes out and it just changes the game and, all of a sudden, you’re scrambling.
“He’s hitting balls off the top of the stumps and he’s cutting and pulling balls. He’s just a hard person to stop when he’s going because he plays a bit awkward. He sits back low on that back foot and cuts the ball and carves the ball out to that offside. Australian conditions just suit him beautifully.”
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