Famous Gabba run chase for India no relevance as Marnus plots MCG plan

By Jonathan Healy

Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne believes India's memorable fourth innings run chase at the Gabba from 2021 is of little relevance heading into the final day of a gripping Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

India successfully chased down 328 for a famous victory in Brisbane on their last tour Down Under on their way to clinching the series. They will have to do similar at the MCG on Monday to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and boost their chances of appearing at next year's ICC World Test Championship Final given Australia reached 228/9 at stumps with an overall lead of 333.

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And while many of India's heroes from that epic win at the Gabba almost four years ago still remain, Labuschagne thinks the different conditions in Melbourne and the state of the current series bears little resemblance to what it did in 2021.

"That wicket at the Gabba was flat," Labuschagne recalled after his innings of 70 at the MCG on Sunday.

"There were some cracks appearing there for memory, but the wicket itself was really nice.

"I remember that wicket because I think that it (the match) almost started a day early or two days early and it was like a Day 2 wicket on Day 1 and it was quite firm.

"There was a little bit of bounce there as you do get in Brisbane, but it was a nice wicket.

"And we were also in that position in that Test where we had to win the series, so we had to try and set a total.

"Ideally we would have liked to set India more in that game and probably bowl a few less overs, but because we had to win we had to risk it a little bit more."

Rishabh Pant was the hero for India against Australia at the Gabba in 2021 // Getty Images

Just what India's target may be on Monday is yet to be determined, with the Aussies still yet to be dismissed in their second innings. Tailenders Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland put on an unbeaten stand of 51 during the final session to frustrate the tourists and ensure their lead was beyond 300.

Labuschagne revealed Australia had planned to declare during the final session, but Jasprit Bumrah's superb spell that saw the home side lose four wickets in as many overs meant that idea was quickly shelved.

"The perfect outcome for us would have probably looked like having a bowl tonight and putting them under pressure," Labuschagne said.

"But the way the wicket played and the way India bowled and came out and put us under pressure in that first 40 to 50 overs, that wasn't an option for us.

"It became, let's get as many runs as we can and that's obviously creeping into a nice total now, but there was a time there where it could have been 250 or 270 (run lead) or maybe even less there for a bit.

"So I think we navigated that really well and the lower-order deserve a lot of credit, for how they managed that last part."