Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli In Marnus Labuschagne’s Perfect Batter Checklist | Cricket News

In a candid interview with Cricket Australia, Marnus Labuschagne was asked to build his perfect batter and he did it with utmost precision to end up creating a right-handed and left-handed batter. During the interview, Labuschagne picked only legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Kevin Pietersen and Justin Langer. For a perfect right-handed batter, the 27-year-old began with Tendulkar, praising his straight drive. “For the righty, I am going to start with Sachin Tendulkar’s straight drive. That’s a shot you used to love seeing. It was so crisp and pure”, he said.

We asked Marnus Labuschagne to build his perfect batter and he got so into it that he named TWO ???????? #DirectHit pic.twitter.com/rKZYlFxVlJ

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He went on to add Ponting, Kohli and Pietersen to form his perfect right-handed batter.

“I am going to go with Ricky Ponting’s pull shot. It’s a bit of a trademark. Everyone loved seeing full flow of that. I am going to have to go with Virat Kohli’s cover drive. I think the way he plays with this sort of energy, he brings on that ball.”

“And I’m going to go with Kevin Pietersen’s like that sort of leg-side shot, the shovel across. I’m also going to go with Kevin Pietersen’s aggression at the crease. His sort of stature. I just love watching the way Kevin sort of was at the crease, very similar to Virat Kohli”, he further added.

After Pietersen, Labuschagne also included Steve Smith, Jacques Kallis in his right-handed combination.

“I’m gonna have to go with Steve Smith’s hunger for runs and determination and adaptability. And then I have to get Jacques Kallis’ temperament and ability to stay at the crease. Andrew Symonds’ hundred with Haydos (Matthew Hayden). Where he jumped and gave Haydos a big hug. That was awesome”, he said.

For his perfect left-hander, he included Matthew Hayden’s off-drive and Langer’s cut shot among others. The Aussie also picked former England cricketer Alastair Cook.

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“For the left-hander, I’m gonna start with Hayden’s off-drive and also his energy at the crease. There’s no better, purer cover driver of a cricket ball than Kumar Sangakkara. Cut shot – I’m gonna go with Justin Langer. More of a square drive”, he said.

“It’s quite tough and we have to move Huss (Mike Hussey) from the cover drive but I will give him the pull shot. Alastair Cook’s ability to get in and go big. Cooky when he got going, was just all over. I tell you what, I didn’t mind the bow after 300. We tease him about it but I think that was pretty cool.”