Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne shared his earliest memory of Virat Kohli before the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). The upcoming five-Test series between India and Australia holds significance as it will influence the World Test Championship final in London next year.
Labuschagne, known for his consistent performance against India, recounted his first encounter with Kohli during the 2018 series.
“My first memory of Virat was probably, from a playing perspective, the 2018 series. He was captain at that time, I think, and he was quite intense. When I watched the series, it was a very intense series. I probably haven’t seen that same Virat since then, you know, the start of that series. For a long time, he’s just been a quality act, but my first memory would be that,” Labuschagne told Star Sports.
Labuschagne aims to enhance his already impressive record against India in the Test format during the series. The 30-year-old batsman has scored 775 runs in 10 matches at an average of 45.58, including three fifties and one century.
The BGT series commences on November 22 in Perth, with both teams facing challenges in their quest to reach the WTC final.
Following a 0-3 series loss against New Zealand, India needs to secure at least four wins out of the five Test matches, with the remaining match ending in a draw or a loss, to qualify for the WTC final.
Australia, aiming to defend their title, cannot afford a series defeat to keep their hopes alive.