'Great to see how our careers have progressed' - Marnus Labuschagne recalls MRF Academy days with Mohammed Siraj

Marnus Labuschagne recalled his long-standing connection with Mohammed Siraj, which started from their days together in the MRF Academy in 2015/16.

The star Australian batter expressed his happiness with how Siraj has developed his game since their first meeting. India and Australia are set to lock horns in a five-match Test series, with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy being on the line. Labuschagne and Siraj are expected to play important roles for their respective teams in the marquee series, which gets underway in November.

“I enjoy battles with Mohammed Siraj. We first met when he was working with the MRF pace academy, and it's been great to see how our careers have progressed together since then,” Labuschagne said in an interview with Star Sports.

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The right-handed batter went on to praise Siraj's passion for the game and the energy he brings onto the field.

“He brings great energy and love for the game. It's exciting to watch him develop,” the 30-year-old mentioned.

Australia look to reclaim Border-Gavaskar Trophy after seven years

India lost a Test series against Australia for the last time in 2014/2015. That was, incidentally, MS Dhoni's last Test series. India reclaimed the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2016-17 at home. The Asian giants also travelled to Australia and won the tours of 2018-19 and 2020-21. Most recently, they secured another home victory in 2022-23. Notably, all these series wins have come by a margin of 2-1.

India is going through a transition phase, with several young players set to embark on their first Test tour Down Under. Australia will feel that this could be their best chance to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after seven years. However, there is enough talent in the Indian team to topple the reigning World Test Champions for the third time in a row in Australia.

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India will return to action after a 43-day break as they are set to face Bangladesh in a two-match Test series at home, starting on Thursday, September 19. Meanwhile, Australia are in the United Kingdom as they gear up to play a five-match ODI series against England beginning on the same day.