India vs Australia: ‘Wouldn’t be too quick to judge Steve Smith,’ Australia’s assistant coach expects former captain and Marnus Labuschagne to find form soon | Cricket - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

India vs Australia: ‘Wouldn’t be too quick to judge Steve Smith,’ Australia’s assistant coach expects former captain and Marnus Labuschagne to find form soon

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Byhindustantimes.com
Jan 01, 2021 07:35 AM IST

India vs Australia: Andrew McDonald believes that form of Smith and Labuschagne in the ongoing Test series against India will not be a major concern for the team.

Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne have failed to perform to the level they are expected to so far and Australia team’s inability to hold the ground during this rough patch has further hit them. Smith has not crossed single-digit scores in four innings, getting out for 1, 0 and 8 and remaining on 1*. Labuschagne, on the other side, hasn’t been able to convert his beginnings into big knocks, and although he has gotten scores of 28, 47 and 48, he has scored only 129 runs in 2 Tests.

Steve Smith is bowled.(Getty Images)
Steve Smith is bowled.(Getty Images)

Also Read | ‘Who would’ve thought 10-15 years ago that India will hammer Australia,’ Shoaib Akhtar wishes to see a ‘series full of clashes’

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Australia assistant coach Andrew McDonald believes that form of Smith and Labuschagne in the ongoing Test series against India will not be a major concern for the team. McDonald stated that the two batsmen will eventually find a way to counter India in the remainder of the series.

“I wouldn’t be too quick to judge Steve Smith in the middle. Yeah, he hasn’t got going yet in this series. In the first four balls, he faced in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test, he looked pretty solid, has looked good at the nets too. and Marnus too,” McDonald said.

Also Read | ‘It’s the best I have seen Ashwin bowl overseas,’ Laxman praises Ashwin’s ‘lovely display of off-spin’ in Melbourne

“The question for me at the moment is the tactical way India have prepared and have been able to control those two players especially with a sort of leg-side theory so to speak. So, I suppose those two players will have to come out with a better method.”

R Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah have caused much trouble for the two batsmen in the ongoing series. McDonald acknowledged that India have their plans mapped out against Smith and Labuschagne but still showed trust in the two batsmen to move over the lean patch and get back to the business.

“I don’t think it has to do anything technically. They are technically in a good space but it is the method to score runs and how they are going to combat these tactics from India bowlers and captains, that has been discussed in our conversation,” McDonald further said.

Stay updated with the latest Cricket News, IPL Live Scores, and get exclusive insights with the RR vs DC Live Score, IPL 2024 Schedule, match highlights, and more. Explore a comprehensive Cricket Schedule, track the race for the Purple Cap and Orange Cap in IPL 2024, check Virat Kohli performance and stay ahead with all the cricket-related updates on the Hindustan Times website and app.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On