Australia vs India: Sachin Tendulkar reveals the plan to dismiss Steve Smith in Test series

Steve Smith, the ICC’s number one ranked Test batsman will be a challenge for the Indian pace attack and they would have to target him from the very first ball if India wants to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy, starting from December 17 in Adelaide. Detailing his opinion on how the Indian pacers can trouble the former Australian captain in Tests, the batting legend Sachin Tendulkar urged the bowlers to target the “fifth stump”.

Last time around, India easily managed to emerge victorious in the Test series against Australia on Australian soil as Smith couldn’t take part in the series. He was serving a one-year ban due to the ball-tampering scandal of 2018 against South Africa. However, this time the batsman is fully prepared to take the field against India at home.

Speaking about Smith’s technique, Tendulkar reckoned that the 31-year-old is an unconventional batter, thus the Indian pacers would have to make an extra effort to get his wicket. He believes that against Smith, instead of bowling around off-stump or fourth stump line, the bowlers should target the fifth stump.

“Smith’s technique is unconventional…Normally, we tell a bowler in Test matches to bowl on and around off-stump or maybe fourth stump line. But for Smith, because he shuffles, maybe that line (of delivery) moves further away by four to five inches,” Tendulkar said as quoted by The Hindu.

“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,” he added.

Steve Smith is expecting bowlers to be aggressive upfront with him: Sachin Tendulkar

A few days back, the Australian veteran had stated that he is prepared to face the short-ball from the visiting bowlers. Speaking about the same, the former Indian captain suggested the Indian team to test Smith around the off-stump channel and force him to play on the back-foot.

“Smith, I read, said he is ready for the short-pitched stuff…probably he is expecting bowlers to be aggressive up front 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.”

When asked if an in-swinging yorker would be more effective, considering Smith’s pronounced trigger from leg to off stump, Tendulkar opined that it would depend on whether the pitch is producing swing or not.

“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 (ball) 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 concluded.