How to get Steve Smith out? 

That is the question fans of the Indian cricket team have been Googling ever since the offensive juggernaut struck back to back centuries in the two consecutive ODIs against the Men in Blue and it seems Harbhajan Singh might have the solution.

In a conversation with India Today, the spinner said:  

“I would like to see Smith batting against spinners. You know, Yuzvendra Chahal or maybe Kuldeep Yadav coming in, in the side. They both bowling in tandem and bowl 7-8 overs of spin when Smith comes in. Steve Smith is someone who likes pace on the bat if you take that away from him for some time that might be the key point to get him out.”

He also added a little bit of advice based on his decades of experience for the 30-year-old spinner: 

“I don’t see anything wrong going with Chahal. It’s the conditions, it’s purely the different conditions what they get in Australia and what they were getting in UAE… My advice to Chahal would be to keep working harder on his game and bowl a little bit slower in the air if possible and you might see some turn on the wicket.”

Smith in the last two matches has been playing on a level above the rest of the batsmen in both the teams.

In the first ODI, Smith walked to the middle after David Warner and skipper Aaron Finch had already established a 150-run partnership. He’d then go on to have another 100+ run partnership with his captain before rallying with Glenn Maxwell to get himself a quick 66-ball century and leave a massive total of 374 runs on the table for Team India to chase. 

However, in the second ODI, Smith managed to outdo himself when he scored 104 in 64 balls with 14 4’s and two 6’s. What’s even more impressive is the fact that the Australian was going through a severe incident of vertigo just before the match. 

On the other hand, this series has not been so kind on Chahal, who was supposed to be India’s greatest weapon against the Aussies, considering they were known to buckle up a bit against spinners. He has conceded 160 runs in 19 overs and only has one wicket under his belt to compensate for it.

While the three-match series is already lost, the third match on Wednesday can be fruitful for Chahal as it would allow him to bring more flight in his deliveries as Bhajji suggested and maybe he can get a breakthrough and prepare himself for the upcoming T20I series.

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