Australia’s experienced batsman Marnus Labuschagne said here on Tuesday that India’s confidence may be a bit shaken due to the crushing defeat by New Zealand on home soil but his team will not make the mistake of underestimating this opponent.
India, ranked second in the world rankings, will face Australia in the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting in Perth from November 22. India recently faced a humiliating 0-3 defeat against New Zealand at home. This was the Indian team’s first defeat on home soil after 12 years and 18 Test series.
Australia’s main middle-order batsman Labuschagne believes that India’s confidence might have been reduced by the defeat against New Zealand. “It would be difficult to say anything about India’s performance,” Labuschagne told the media here. They played in completely different conditions. Those were favorable conditions for the spinners.It has never happened in my career that the Indian team has come to Australia after losing the home series.
“From our perspective, I think it’s a good thing,” he said. Their confidence is probably a little low, they have not come with a win in the Test. Lost to New Zealand 0-3. I think it might have affected their confidence a bit.” Labuschagne, however, advised his team, which has suffered defeats in the last four series against India, to avoid complacency, saying, ”There are many great players in their team. And they are one of the best teams in the world. That’s why you can never underestimate such a team.
India made an incredible comeback to win 2–1 despite the absence of regular captain Virat Kohli and injuries to several other main team players. “He had won in 2021 also,” Labuschagne said. Then new players like (T) Natarajan, (Mohammed) Siraj and Washington Sundar and Shubhman Gill had performed brilliantly.
The Indian team is ready to take the field without regular captain Rohit Sharma and third-order batsman Gill in the first Test at the Optus Stadium here. Labuschagne said that India has enough talent to face every kind of challenge. “They have a great team and they have shown that over time. You can never underestimate the options of players in Indian cricket.
Labuschagne said, “Whoever gets a chance to play will have to work very hard to make a place in the Indian team.” You have to be a really good player to represent such a team.