The India vs Australia tour is just a few days away from kickoff, in between all the preparation Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has advised the Indian bowlers on how to dismiss Australia’s star batsman Steve Smith. With the return of Steve Smith and David Warner to the Australian squad, the home side has just got an inch stronger then what they were in their last home series against India where they suffered a pounding defeat against India in both the ODI and Test series.
This year Australia will be looking to get their revenge on their Indian side as they’re all set to face them in three ODIs, Three T20s and four Test matches out of which Virat Kohli will only be available for the limited-overs leg followed by the first test after which he’ll be flying back home as he’s expecting his first child with wife Anushka Sharma.
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‘Steve Smith Is Always Ready For Short Pitched Stuff’ – Sachin Tendulkar
Former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has advised the Indian bowlers to bowl the fourth or fifth stump line to Australia’s Steve Smith who shuffles a lot on the offside which is why there is always a slight tendency that he nicks the ball.
“Smith’s technique is unconventional. Normally, we tell a bowler in Test matches to bowl on and around off stump or maybe a fourth-stump line. But for Smith, because he shuffles, maybe that line moves further away [from off stump] by four to five inches. One has to aim between [an imaginary] fourth and fifth stump for Steve to nick one. It’s just a mental adjustment of line, more than anything else,” Sachin Tendulkar told PTI.
Sachin Tendulkar further analyzed how Steve Smith’s stance makes him ever ready for the short ball since he expects the bowlers to be aggressive with him early on the innings. Which is why the batsman needs to test with the fourth and fifth stump line as it will lead to him committing a mistake early on.
“Smith, I read, said he is ready for the short-pitched stuff, probably he is expecting bowlers to be aggressive upfront with him. But I think he needs to be tested on and around that off-stump channel. Keep him on [the] back foot and induce that early mistake,” he added.
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