Marnus Labuschagne looks forward to 'game of chess' with Ravi Ashwin during upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy

Australia star batter Marnus Labuschagne is eager to battle against Ravi Ashwin in the forthcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy. The number one ranked Test batter stated that he has recently changed his technique in order to play the spin wizard in Indian conditions and expects that he will get the necessary result because of the same.

In the last edition of the much-awaited series, Ashwin got the better of him in Adelaide and Melbourne while the Australia international countered Ashwin with 91 and 73 in the third Test at Sydney.

“Since then [the last series] I've already started thinking. I've changed some of my game because of what I've heard about Ashwin and how he bowled to me. I've adapted my game to try and foil a few of his ideas and ways he goes about it, so it's going to be a lovely game of chess and I can't wait for it,” Labuschagne said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

I've already thought about my plans, so now it's just about executing: Labuschagne

This interestingly is going to be Labuschagne’s first Test tour to India. Thus, he might be unaware of the conditions but stated that he started preparing for the tour a long time ago. The cricketer said he has gone through every possible scenario of how the bowlers are going to bowl in India and mentally prepared himself for the same.

“The preparation starts so far back. People think, right now it's Big Bash then you start thinking - but the thinking happens way ahead. You start processing everything in your mind, you go through every scenario of what bowler you are going to come across. I've already thought about my plans, so now it's just about executing."

"Finding out, 'That works, that doesn't work. How can that part of my game fit in?', and just piece the puzzle together and make sure the puzzle is ready when it's game time. That's the key, and that's how all preparation happens,” the cricketer added.

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS App Store  and Google Play Store