“Looking back on it, I definitely would have liked to play in a slightly different way,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I almost started a bit too defensively so I’m just going over my theories there and I would have liked to apply my testing method a bit more in those conditions; sweeping the ball, using my feet a bit more. It was a little disappointing on my end, that I didn’t really do that until the Test series came in. For me, it’s a learning experience.
“I like the different challenges, that’s for sure,” he said. “I always like to hit in the top order, I’ve been there all my life, but to understand the composition of the team, to hit at No. 5, I have to continue to improve in this role and through the intermediates understand when it comes to attacking and defending. It’s a question of confidence in me. That’s what’s great with the technical staff, they have total confidence in us as players, to face the match and put the pressure back on the opponent.
“Being really positive out of the blocks is key for me. Understanding what the situation is. If we’re okay, it’s about making sure I put the other hitter on strike if he really has momentum and starts to build the partnership. Putting the bowler under pressure from the first ball and if I can do that, it definitely changes the dynamic.
“I don’t really see us as similar players, I think we attack the game very differently,” Labuschagne said. “[Steve] goes much straighter to the wicket, especially against spin, as I attack him pretty squarely with sweeps. Obviously, I think there is room for both of us. Steve got 100 out of 60 balls against India in consecutive games and feels like we complement each other depending on the situation. If it’s a difficult wicket we can control the middlemen, but on the other side we can put pressure on the opponent with less risk and be able to score quickly. The challenge is that we just have to keep pushing that pace, especially when we’re first at bat, and we both understand that. ยป
“I love cricket over 50, it’s a good mix, you have to have really good tactical sense, understand your opposition, get wickets through the middle overs and try to score at seven or eight low-risk runs, that’s a different challenge in itself. I really like the format, there’s room for all three, it’s just on how we schedule it.
“The history that comes with one-day cricket makes it such an incredible format. There have been so many great World Cup wins over so many years, so to be part of a World Cup would be a amazing experience and looking forward to I still think this is the pinnacle of international white ball events.
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