Mind games begin as Labuschagne taunts Kohli: ‘Are you ready to face bouncers from Marnus?’

Marnus Labuschagne is gearing up to showcase his skills as an all-rounder for the Australian team in the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. Known for his exemplary batting in red-ball cricket, Labuschagne has issued a playful warning to Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli as the mental battles begin well ahead of the BGT 2024/25. With 13 wickets under his belt in 50 Tests, Labuschagne has proven his ability to contribute with the ball as well. During the recent Sheffield Shield season, he displayed his bowling prowess at a medium pace, even drawing attention with his quirky tactics on the field. A viral video captured Labuschagne setting up a rather unorthodox field positioning during a match between Queensland and Western Australia, instructing a teammate to stand directly behind the umpire. However, in a surprising turn of events, he comically pulled his teammate by the trousers and shifted him to a different position, showcasing his light-hearted yet competitive nature on the field.

The Aussie star is ready to bring the same antics to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he is raring to bowl bouncers to Kohli, who has an incredible record in Australian conditions.

"What are you going to get there? Are you going to get the number three of Australia rolling in bowling bouncers to Virat Kohli? I think people want to see that. You want to see, can you play on someone's ego? Are you going to be ducking bouncers from Marnus?" Labuschagne said on The Grade Cricketer.

Australia will be without all-rounder Cameron Green in the BGT this year as he will undergo surgery to address his back-related troubles, which will keep him out of action for at least six months. Pat Cummins would want the other players to take responsibility in his absence.

Meanwhile, Labuschagne wants to hit the 135kmph barrier with the ball, which he thinks his teammates will not like that much.

"I'm happy to throw in whenever. Whatever the team needs. I'd love to hit a little 135 kmph bouncer. I got that in me. My highest recorded is 132 kmph, so just three k more. The boys hate that. They'll hate that I've said that I've got 135 in me," Labuschagne added.