Marnus Labuschagne is living a charmed life at the crease against India in the day and night Test. The Australia number 3 batsman should have been dismissed on 12 but Jasprit Bumrah dropped a fairly simple catch at the deep fine leg boundary. Team India was perfect with their plans when bowling to Labuschagne and targeted him with rising short deliveries.
Labuschagne was looking uncomfortable with that line and length and went for the release short. Mohammed Shami bowled a well-directed bouncer around the left shoulder of Labuschagne which he miscued towards Bumrah who was patrolling the deep square leg boundary.
Marnus Labuschagne Survives As Jasprit Bumrah Drops his catch
When the ball was top-edged the entire India team yelled ‘catch it’ hoping Bumrah would snaffle it but unfortunately he grassed the chance. The replays suggested that Bumrah probably thought that he was closer to the boundary rope and was trying to tap the ball back in play after completing the catch.
Eventually, Bumrah ended up dropping the catch and India missed a golden shot to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne before the break. Australia could have been 3 down if Bumrah had completed the catch that would have made it India’s session. The ploy of bouncers against Labuschagne almost worked as he gave India a catching break early in his innings.
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Now, after the break, team India is expected to continue their strategy of bowling bouncers at the prolific run-scorer Marnus Labuschagne. The likes of Bumrah, Shaami and Yadav will be keen to dismiss him early and put Australia under pressure. After the completion of the first session on day 2, Australia is 35 for 2.
Earlier in the day, it ended up being a horror batting display by the India lower-order batsmen. The visitors could only make 11 runs and were bundled out on a below-par total of 244 runs.
Watch the video:
Dropped! Labuschagne gets a life on 12! #AUSvIND live: https://t.co/LGCJ7zSdrY pic.twitter.com/ooHxon8aCE
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 18, 2020
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