Image Source : GETTY IMAGES Steve Smith
Australia batsman Steve Smith, who had a horrendous time within the first two Tests of the continued four-match collection, particularly towards Ravichandran Ashwin, appeared fully in cost on the rain-hit first day of the third Test on the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), taking the assault to the Indian off-spinner by typically coming down the monitor.
Smith, who had aggregated simply 10 within the first two Tests, remained not out on 34 on Thursday and had added unbeaten 60 for the third wicket with Marnus Labuschagne who remained not out on 67 off 149 balls as Australia ended Day One on 166/2.
Right-arm pacer Mohammed Siraj attributed Smith’s confidence to the placid floor however added that there was a touch of spin in direction of the top of the day which provides India confidence.
“The wicket is very easy to bat on which is why they were coming down the track easily. But if you see towards the end, there was some turn, Jaddu (Jadeja) bhai and Ash (Ashwin) bhai got turn, so they were on the backfoot. Let us see what happens tomorrow,” stated Siraj in the course of the media interplay after the top of the day’s play.
Siraj, who took 5 wickets within the debut Test in Melbourne, additional stated that the ball is approaching to the bat fairly properly on the SCG.
“This wicket is quite flat and the ball is coming on to the bat. Our plan was to keep building pressure, bowling in one area. We don’t want to try much because it is very easy for batsmen to play on this surface. Even the bouncer was not like what was in Melbourne,” the 26-year-old stated.
Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant dropped opener Will Pucovski twice with the opener going onto make 62. One of the catches was off Siraj’s bowling whereas the opposite was off Ashwin’s bowling.
Speaking about that, Siraj stated: “Dropped catches are part of the game. It was disappointing for a while but then we said that if something had to happen, it happens. You can’t stop it. We decided to take it ball by ball and not dwell in the past.”
