'I don’t think it was a very good Test wicket' - Marnus Labuschagne criticizes controversial Gabba surface

The two-day Test series opener between Australia and South Africa at the Gabba has come under scrutiny after the batters took a hiding at a ridiculously bowling-friendly surface. While Pat Cummins deemed the surface 'fine' after Dean Elgar's 'unsafe' remark, batting stalwart Marnus Labuschagne felt that the pitch was not up to the mark for a match of such stature.

Marnus Labuschagne, who had a prolific series against the Windies, remained unbeaten on the second day to guide his side to victory, while 34 wickets fell within two days of the series opener. The batting ace felt that even though the fans love fast wickets in the country, it was not ideal for a match to finish within two days. At times it felt like a Shield game to the no.1 Test batter in the world.

“I don’t think it was a very good Test wicket, no. It felt a bit like a Shield game. I think everyone understands that this is not what we want, that’s not the ideal scenario. We love the pace of the wicket, we love the bounce, we love two fast bowling attacks going at it, but if we’re going to finish in under two days it’s obviously not ideal for Test cricket. But the reality is we’ve played on probably two of those in the last two years,” he was quoted as saying by FOX sports.

It becomes a little bit of a lottery about who gets the upper hand on a wicket like that: Labuschagne

Labuschagne reckoned that the longest format of the game is slated to test the endurance of the cricketers. However, with a wicket like that in Brisbane, which is inclined heavily in the favor of bowlers, it becomes a one-sided contest. The 28-year-old stated it was like a lottery for the batters as most of them struggled to spend time at the crease.

“Test cricket is an endurance battle. Can the batter outlast the bowler? It’s a strategic game, and obviously, when you play on a wicket like this it brings the match so close together. It becomes a little bit of a lottery about who gets the upper hand on a wicket like that," he added.