File photo of James Anderson
England's seasoned pacer James Anderson has said that bowling to Australia batsman Marnus Labuschagne is like impressing a girl at a club. Anderson, who is yet to bowl to Labuschagne in international cricket, was up against the Aussie in the County Championship when Lancashire took on Glamorgan.
Veteran Anderson, who plays for Lancashire, dismissed Labuschagne with a beautiful out-swinger that kissed the bat and went to the gloves of wicketkeeper Dane Vilas. Labuschagne (12) had to walk back early but the match eventually ended in a draw.
Lancashire Cricket also shared a video of the dismissal and wrote, "WICKET WATCH @jimmy9 finds the perfect line and an edge to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne for 12. That's wicket #990 @GlamCricket 82-2"
A week after the game, Anderson compared bowling to Labuschagne to impressing a girl at a club. "You want to create a good impression and stamp your authority on that battle," Anderson told BBC Podcast 'Tailenders'. "It's nice to get the first blow in."
“It’s like when you see a girl at a club and you try to play it cool. You want her to be impressed. You start dancing to the Stone Roses while your shoes stick to the floor,” Anderson, who has over 600 plucks in the Test format, said.
The 38-year-old Anderson will be a crucial part of the England squad when they travel Down Under at the end of the year for the 2021-22 Ashes. The first four Tests would be held in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney before the Perth Test starting from 14th January.
Labuschagne, who broke in the Australian side as a concussion substitute for Steve Smith, will also look to leave his mark in the much-anticipated series. Having played 18 Tests so far, the South Africa-born batsman boasts an impressive average of 60.80 with five tons and 10 fifties under his belt.
