Message to Indian bowlers : Steven Smith not worried about short-ball ploy

[tyron_woodley]

I won't mind this to be honest.

Three games in Sydney.

I will be upset. I am in Brisbane. I want one in Gabba lol

 

[andy0204]

I won't mind this to be honest.

Three games in Sydney.

It will be lottery ticket for India if all the matches are going to be in Adelaide and Sydney.

 

[wrongun]

Bumrah bowled the fastest ball last time India toured. He averaged 143 plus in that series. He is more than capable of turning up the heat.

Wagner is lucky he just plays one format. His endurance is vastly overrated. When you play all 3 formats, he will struggle to replicate the same accuracy for long periods as the physical workload takes a toll on the body.

It's also easier to bowl bouncers with accuracy at Wagner's trundling speed.

Both can bowl about 153 at quickest. I've just not seen Bumrah reach that speed since his injury, which is why I retain some reservations.

You don't seem to rate Wagner. That's fine. Many don't. But he just keeps producing. It's not easy bowling short on those NZ decks & his results left those trundler tags behind years ago. I used to be in the same camp as you actually, but Wagner slowly but surely won my respect.

Wagners endurance within a Test match is second to none. Since the article starting the thread specifically mentions Test matches, I don't really care if some countries bowl bowlers into the ground in other formats- that's their choice & doesn't get to be an excuse for fitness or lack thereof. The fact remains that Wagner has exemplary fitness standards & mental strength= great endurance.

The fact Bumrah bowls other formats doesn't have a thing to do with Wagner; why bring it up as an excuse or try to cut a player down? Seems pretty cheap really.

As I said I enjoy watching Bumrah bowl and am keen to see if he can produce the top line pace OR the relentless aggressive length + line needed to upset Smith in that way. If he can't, what on eartrh will ODI or T20 have to do with it within the context? Zilch.

 

[tyron_woodley]

Both can bowl about 153 at quickest. I've just not seen Bumrah reach that speed since his injury, which is why I retain some reservations.

You don't seem to rate Wagner. That's fine. Many don't. But he just keeps producing. It's not easy bowling short on those NZ decks & his results left those trundler tags behind years ago. I used to be in the same camp as you actually, but Wagner slowly but surely won my respect.

Wagners endurance within a Test match is second to none. Since the article starting the thread specifically mentions Test matches, I don't really care if some countries bowl bowlers into the ground in other formats- that's their choice & doesn't get to be an excuse for fitness or lack thereof. The fact remains that Wagner has exemplary fitness standards & mental strength= great endurance.

The fact Bumrah bowls other formats doesn't have a thing to do with Wagner; why bring it up as an excuse or try to cut a player down? Seems pretty cheap really.

As I said I enjoy watching Bumrah bowl and am keen to see if he can produce the top line pace OR the relentless aggressive length + line needed to upset Smith in that way. If he can't, what on eartrh will ODI or T20 have to do with it within the context? Zilch.

I thinks it's pretty clear. It's easier to bowl with unerring accuracy and especially at his sub 133 K speed in tests for long periods when you only play one format.

He is indeed a good test bowler but his stats are only good in Australia and n.z. tbf.

Playing all 3 formats takes more of a toll on a player's body obviously. So yes playing T20 and odi can affect a player's ability to perform in tests. Not to mention other franchise cricket. Workload needs to be prirotirized.

Yea it won't be used as an excuse but it should really be a very valid one as players are still human. Money obviously matters and the more marketable players will have to play through pain regardless.

Anyway let's see what bumrah has to offer. I am confident he can upset the GOAT i.e Smith but Smith is a GOAT for a reason. it will be a good battle. Let's see if bumrah can rattle him.

 

[wrongun]

So you're pre-emptively making excuses for Jasprit Bumrah who played his last Test in March & his last ODI in February?

And how may wickets should we remove from Wagners stats because he bowls below the mandatory scary pace? I mean, his slow trundlers should be cannon fodder right, so how does he keep taking them? Is he granted super human powers by not playing ODI cricket? Pace is pace yaar & all that matters right? Please explain.

I really don't buy the argument that being a Test specialist invalidates your Test performances. That is a really weak position. Does playing T20 & ODI enhance your Test figures? By how much? Or does this only work one way?

So India make the decision to play Bumrah in 3 formats... and I am supposed to downrate Wagners achievements by some hypothetical amount to make allowance for some hypothetical amount of superior fitness that Bumrah might otherwise show...

Should we do this for batsmens Test averages too? We should inflate them for 3 format players because they must be so exhausted. Great idea. You don't need to show the application to score a double ton now. We'll just upgrade a 120 ball hundred to a double ton.

Tyron, this is a complete fail argument. You don't rate Wagner- fine. But claiming Bumrah would, could, should be even fitter & Wagner isn't even fit because of this, that, the other reminds me only of Trump & elections mate.

 

[tyron_woodley]

So you're pre-emptively making excuses for Jasprit Bumrah who played his last Test in March & his last ODI in February?

And how may wickets should we remove from Wagners stats because he bowls below the mandatory scary pace? I mean, his slow trundlers should be cannon fodder right, so how does he keep taking them? Is he granted super human powers by not playing ODI cricket? Pace is pace yaar & all that matters right? Please explain.

I really don't buy the argument that being a Test specialist invalidates your Test performances. That is a really weak position. Does playing T20 & ODI enhance your Test figures? By how much? Or does this only work one way?

So India make the decision to play Bumrah in 3 formats... and I am supposed to downrate Wagners achievements by some hypothetical amount to make allowance for some hypothetical amount of superior fitness that Bumrah might otherwise show...

Should we do this for batsmens Test averages too? We should inflate them for 3 format players because they must be so exhausted. Great idea. You don't need to show the application to score a double ton now. We'll just upgrade a 120 ball hundred to a double ton.

Tyron, this is a complete fail argument. You don't rate Wagner- fine. But claiming Bumrah would, could, should be even fitter & Wagner isn't even fit because of this, that, the other reminds me only of Trump & elections mate.

I did say Wagner is a good player. His figures outside Australia, n.z and s.africa is awful though.

If you played sport you would realise that playing in all 3 formats is more taxing than being solely a test specialist.

I am not saying his figures should be disregarded however if he did participate in all 3 formats, he would definitely notice several dips/troughs in his form throughout his career as it's significantly more physically demanding on the body.

This goes for all players like Ishant too.
Ishant has very good figures post 2015 but his figures improved alot because he stopped playing odi and T20 as he was pretty awful in those formats. Sample applies to Wagner who is a short format specialist.

Make no mistake though, they are still quality test cricket bowlers regardless.

 

[wrongun]

I did say Wagner is a good player. His figures outside Australia, n.z and s.africa is awful though.

If you played sport you would realise that playing in all 3 formats is more taxing than being solely a test specialist.

I am not saying his figures should be disregarded however if he did participate in all 3 formats, he would definitely notice several dips/troughs in his form throughout his career as it's significantly more physically demanding on the body.

This goes for all players like Ishant too.
Ishant has very good figures post 2015 but his figures improved alot because he stopped playing odi and T20 as he was pretty awful in those formats. Sample applies to Wagner who is a short format specialist.

Make no mistake though, they are still quality test cricket bowlers regardless.

If I played sport...

Do YOU play international sport in 3 formats? Do you have internationally recognised qualifications in the area? I do- I've taught PE & Sport Science in Australia & currently in Singapore preparing students for university entrance exams in the subject for HSC (Australia), British IGCSE & International Baccalaureate. I've played junior cricket & football for my state ACT (Australia). Also qualified strength & conditioning coach facilitating athlete development program at AIS Singapore.

Don't come with that crap.

 

[Rana]

Cant wait for Mohammad Siraj to execute "Operation bouncer attack" as the third seamer of the attack. Steven Smith may evade the short stuff from Shami and Bumrah, but Siraj will not spare him.

 

[tyron_woodley]

If I played sport...

Do YOU play international sport in 3 formats? Do you have internationally recognised qualifications in the area? I do- I've taught PE & Sport Science in Australia & currently in Singapore preparing students for university entrance exams in the subject for HSC (Australia), British IGCSE & International Baccalaureate. I've played junior cricket & football for my state ACT (Australia). Also qualified strength & conditioning coach facilitating athlete development program at AIS Singapore.

Don't come with that crap.

you played at 'junior' level. I have played grade cricket in brisbane and for capital league 1 seniors (southside eagles also mount gravatt) in soccer. We also have cup games in addition to playing our domestic league games. it is indeed taxing on the body to play 2 competitions over a single comp. Same applies to interantional players who play 3 formats. It is far more taxing on the body to play 3 formats over 1 like ishant and wagner. There is a reason why ishant and wagner's test figures improved. It 'improved' because they stopped focusing on short format cricket and t20. That was the sole purpose of my post. They are still humans. They arent machines. wagner's so called resilience, stamina, conditioning would certainly suffer if he had to focus on playing all 3 formats unless he picks and chooses where he wants to play like starc does for australia.

congrats on your qualifications though. Impressive stuff.

 

[MenInG]

India are welcome to subject Steve Smith to a bouncer barrage but the batsman is well-equipped to succeed against such strategy, Australia assistant coach Andrew McDonald said on Sunday.

Smith was concussed by a short-pitched delivery from Jofra Archer at Lord’s last year and was also bounced out several times by New Zealand speedster Neil Wagner last summer.

The top-ranked Test batsman can expect similar treatment from India but McDonald is unfazed by the prospect, pointing out that Smith bounced back from the Lord’s concussion with a double century at Old Trafford.

“Even in one-day cricket and T20 cricket, he’s been able to score runs with that plan being adopted by opponents,” said McDonald.

“So, I don’t necessarily see it as a weakness … they (India) can keep approaching it that way if they want.”

Virat Kohli and his men did try it when Australia played three one-day internationals in India earlier this year, and a repeat of the ploy wouldn’t surprise.

“It’s going to be a tactic a lot of bowling units will use against our top-line batters, especially with four men out in one-day cricket,” McDonald said.

“They’ve used that tactic before and he’s (Smith) done well on it before. I’m suggesting that plan hasn’t necessarily worked to its full effect.”

India and Australia will clash in the first of the three one-day internationals in Sydney on Friday.

They will also play three Twenty20 matches before a four-Test series gets underway at Adelaide on Dec. 17.

https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/steve-smith-india-bouncer-barrage-weakness-7061416/

 

[sharmaji]

It'd be great if he can play the role of Wagner in the Indian team, with relentless accurate chest-high short-pitched balls.

Cant wait for Mohammad Siraj to execute "Operation bouncer attack" as the third seamer of the attack. Steven Smith may evade the short stuff from Shami and Bumrah, but Siraj will not spare him.

 

[Rana]

It'd be great if he can play the role of Wagner in the Indian team, with relentless accurate chest-high short-pitched balls.

Don’t want to make fun of Siraj now, he is going through a tough personal loss.

 

[sharmaji]

Oh, I didn't get your sarcasm before

Yes, Siraj is going through a tough phase. I hope he remains strong.

Don’t want to make fun of Siraj now, he is going through a tough personal loss.

 

[MenInG]

Steve Smith may had an ordinary IPL 2020 as per his own standards but the Australia batting superstar says he’s found his batting rhythm during the net sessions he has had for the upcoming series against India.

Smith, who captains Rajasthan Royals in IPL, scored 311 runs in 14 matches including three half-centuries.

He will be one of the key performers to look out for Australia in the upcoming limited overs series comprising three ODIs followed by as many T20Is before the four Test starting next month.

“I was pretty disappointed with my batting throughout the IPL,” Smith said. “For my sort of standards, I wasn’t consistent enough. I did play a few innings here and there but not consistently.”

“I think in the last few days, people who know me well, said that I have found my hands and I am excited about it. So I plan to have a few more hits at the nets and get started in a few days time,” he added.

Smith, who has scored over 12,000 runs across formats, says it took him longer to get back into the groove having not batted for a almost four months during the coronavirus lockdown.

“It was about getting that feel in the way my hands come up. It’s hard to explain but it probably wasn’t quite being right till two days ago,” Smith said. “Then something clicked two days ago. It changes where you meet the ball. I had that big smile on my face while training the other day. It’s taken me a lot longer than usual. I didn’t bat for four months during COVID (lockdown) so don’t know if it took me a bit longer to get that rhythm back.”

Smith, who relies on picking gaps and building his innings at a steady pace, had to change his game for the IPL which doesn’t come natural to him.

“In IPL, I got caught up with trying to be a bit more powerful and that’s not my game. There are players in the world who can hit sixes at will and I am probably not one of those. It is about playing the cricketing shots and manipulating the gaps available. Probably, it (natural game) went away in the IPL from doing that. So now, I am keeping the thoughts clear that I will only hit the balls in my areas,” he explained.

Smith boasts of an envious record against India and he feels playing against top teams brings out the best in him.

“I don’t know. In a big series, I try and stand up and get the best out of myself. Ashes and India series are the two biggest and as an Australian cricketer, there is something inside me that comes out and I am not sure. I have always started the first Test well against India and that gives me a bit of rhythm throughout the rest of the series. It’s something to do with that,” the 31-year-old added.

There has been a lot of talk around how Smith finds it difficult to negotiate short-pitched delivery, an apparent weakness that New Zealand left-arm pacer Neil Wagner has exploited.

When asked how he plans to deal with the strategy should Indian bowlers employ that against him, Smith didn’t sound concenred.

“You are alluding to the short pitched bowling approach that others might take (watching Wagner’s bowling to him). That’s kind of flattering if people think that’s the only way to get me out as they have exhausted all other options,” he said.

“Neil Wagner got the better of me in the last Test series (vs NZ at home). He has a set of skills that not many people can do and he does it for a long period of time while changing the pace of deliveries,” he added.

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...thm-steve-smith-warns-virat-kohlis-men-958405

 

[MenInG]

No joy for Indian bowlers so far against Smith.