IND vs AUS | For first-timer, Marnus Labuschagne played really well, admits Steve Smith

IND vs AUS | For first-timer, Marnus Labuschagne played really well, admits Steve Smith

no photo

According to Steve Smith, his batting partner in the Australian squad Marnus Labuschagne played really well in his 47-ball knock of 46 in the second ODI against India at Rajkot. While the Smith-Labuschagne duo was at it in the middle, Australia’s hopes of sealing the series were still alive.

The Smith-Labuschagne bromance has been a beautiful tale to watch, from the Ashes last year and right through the Australian summer. The big question as the Aussies travelled to India, was if the junior could transfer his form into the limited-overs setup as well. But the 25-year-old brushed away all the apprehensions as coolly as he lofted Kuldeep Yadav over his head off just his sixth delivery. Together with his idol, Smith, he kept Australia’s hopes abreast in a steep chase of 341 with a 96-run stand.

"I thought Marnus played really well in his first bat in one-day International cricket. He was really busy, we were going at a reasonable rate, we were going at around six an over there for a while, we were just busy and playing good cricket shots. The way Marnus played in his first game, to have the courage to hit one over mid-off off Kuldeep really early on, that just shows he's got something about him," Smith said at the post-match press conference, reported Cricbuzz. 

The Aussies eventually fell 36 short of the target, as India levelled the three-match series 1-1, but Labuschagne’s 46 was enough to prove to his senior partner of bigger things to come. 

"We know he's in terrific form, he's been batting beautifully, but transferring that into one-day cricket now is another thing. I thought he looked exceptionally good tonight. He hit the gaps hard, ran hard between the wickets and played some nice shots. The one over cover off Jadeja was a beautiful shot and he looked right at home," Smith added.

Get updates! Follow us on

Open all