Sachin Tendulkar looked ahead to the much-anticipated Test series in Australia.
Steve has tended to enjoy playing against India both home and away, averaging a mindblowing 84.05 across 10 Tests for 1,429 runs including 7 centuries. Keeping in mind he wasn't there when India pulled off a Test series win on their last trip, the former skipper will also be hungrier to perform against the arch-rivals.
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"Smith''s technique is unconventional...Normally, we tell a bowler in Test matches to bowl on and around off-stump or may be fourth stump line. But for Smith, because he shuffles, may be that line (of delivery) moves further away by four to five inches," Tendulkar told PTI.
"One has to aim between (imaginary) fourth and fifth stump for Steve to nick one. It''s just a mental adjustment of line, more than anything else."
"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 back-foot and induce that early mistake," he added.
Considering Smith's pronounced trigger movement across the off-stump, the full-length inswinging ball could also prove effective. But Tendulkar feels that depends on the amount of swing available to the bowler.
"For that to happen, you have to see how much the ball is swinging. All those things matter. You can't use saliva, so it''s a different case, if wickets have a lot more life. In England during the Test matches, on occasions, the Dukes wouldn't be swinging much."
"I don''t know if they will have greenish wickets for the ball to do a little bit. If the ball doesn't swing. That swinging yorker, you might not even see."
Tendulkar said it's appreciable how the likes of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav have combined to make India capable of taking 20 wickets consistently. But on tours abroad, he pointed out, it's important to outperform the home attack and they can't be too expensive while dismissing the opposition.
"As I have always said, we have one of the best and most balanced bowling attacks India has ever had. Eventually, you have to pick 20 wickets to win Test matches. But 20 wickets shouldn't be too expensive either," he said.
"...Along with our attacking bowlers, we should also identify bowlers who can hold one end up on unresponsive pitches, bowl those continuous maiden overs to build the pressure," Tendulkar added.