We are not just focusing on wrist spinners: Steve Smith

The Australian side went down by 26 runs in the 1st ODI against India. There were a lot of talks about playing spin ahead of the game, in the Aussie dressing room, but interestingly, the pacers bagged four wickets while the spinners did one better. Kuldeep Yadav ended his spell with 2/33 and Yuzvendra Chahal’s figures read 3/30. The visitors scored 137/9 in 20 overs, after the target was cut short to 164 in 21 overs.

Smith has said that they are not only bothered by spin and are focusing on other facets too. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya bowled superbly in Chennai. Smith lost his wicket to Pandya, scoring just one run. “We certainly haven’t just been focusing on wrist spin. We’ve been facing our fast bowlers in the nets and other net bowlers as well,” Smith said.

Australia knew the challenges ahead

Smith said that Australia were prepared for the challenges. “The guys knew what they were going to come with before this game. Everyone had seen the footage and watched a bit of the series in Sri Lanka where they bowled quite a few (knuckle balls),” he said. “It wasn’t any surprise to us. Batting for 20 overs is difficult when you’re losing wickets and trying to go quite hard. It didn’t work out as we would have liked but we’ve got to turn things around in a couple of days’ time in Kolkata,” he added.

Spinner Adam Zampa was taken for a ride by Pandya. Zampa ended his 10 overs conceding 66 runs. He lastly picked up Pandya’s wicket after the batsman attacked him on successive occasions. “I guess the message to Zampa as well was to try and bring his length back a little bit. He was bowling very full and Hardik looked like hitting every one of those for six,” said Smith.