Langer relishing duel

Australian opening batsman Justin Langer said he relishes his hair-raising duels with Pakistan Express bowler Shoaib Akhtar after the pair&#...

Australian opening batsman Justin Langer said he relishes his hair-raising duels with Pakistan Express bowler Shoaib Akhtar after the pair’s verbal dust-up at the Boxing Day cricket Test here today.

Shoaib launched into the little left-hander in one explosive over before tea with Langer taking apparent exception when Shoaib appeared to spit in his direction.

The Pakistani spearhead then thundered down two bouncers and the pair exchanged words and fierce looks as Shoaib advanced down the pitch to within a few metres of Langer who was Man of the match with scores of 191 and 97 in the Perth Test.

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But Langer, who scored 50 in Australia’s 203/5 in reply to Pakistan’s 341, later revealed there was no enmity between the pair, saying it was ‘‘just two warriors going at each other.’’

‘‘It’s great, isn’t it? For me, that’s why you play the game,’’ the 34-year-old batsman said.

‘‘As I said to (umpire) Rudi Koertzen, there was nothing malicious about it; it’s just like two warriors going at each other.

‘‘A bloke’s bowling 150 kmph, trying to rip the fingers off your arms, or probably even worse.

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‘‘It gets your blood going, the adrenaline is pumping, you’re in a fight – to me that’s what Test cricket is all about.’’

Langer revels in his new-ball battles with the ‘Rawalpindi Express’.

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