Pacers must bowl on fourth-fifth stump to trouble unconventional Smith

Steve Smiths unconventional technique will warrant a slightly wider line from Indian bowlers the iconic Sachin Tendulkar said urging the pacers to target the fifth stump to blunt the redoubtable batsman during the upcoming series in AustraliaSmith who missed the last IndiaAustralia series in 201819 due to a balltampering ban will be itching to go out there and prove a point He has always performed against India and has six hundreds and a 92 a statistic that wont be lost on India skipper Virat Kohli Smiths technique is unconventionalNormally we tell a bowler in Test matches to bowl on and around offstump or may be fourth stump line But for Smith because he shuffles may be that line of delivery moves further away by four to five inches Tendulkar told PTI in an interviewOne has to aim between imaginary fourth and fifth stump for Steve to nick one Its just a mental adjustment of line more than anything else the former captain said Smith I read said he is ready for the shortpitched stuffprobably he is expecting bowlers to be aggressive upfront with him But I think he needs to be tested on and around that offstump channel Keep him on backfoot and induce that early mistake Cant an inswinging yorker be more effective considering Smiths pronounced trigger from leg to off stump For that to happen you have to see how much the ball is swinging All those things matter You cant use saliva so its a different case if wickets have a lot more life In England during the Test matches on occasions the Dukes wouldnt be swinging muchI dont know if they will have greenish wickets for the ball to do a little bit If the ball doesnt swing That swinging yorker you might not even see The Indian bowling attack comprising Jasprit Bumrah Mohammed Shami Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav is a potent one but Tendulkar would ideally like the team management to identify a defensive bowler as well As I have always said we have one of the best and most balanced bowling attacks India has ever had Eventually you have to pick 20 wickets to win Test matches But 20 wickets shouldnt be too expensive either along with our attacking bowlers we should also identify bowlers who can hold one end up on unresponsive pitches bowl those continuous maiden overs to build the pressureTalk about the Pink Ball Test which will open the Test engagement from December 17 in Adelaide and the maestro feels that the timing of the day when declaration of an innings happens will play a big role Probably due to difference in timing you have to score those quick runs in the first session of the day which is afternoon when the pitch will be flat The pink ball starts seaming around in twilight and thats the ideal time to bowl Tendulkar observed So pacing the innings and the timing of declaration becomes very critical Suppose you have a decent score on board and you are 8 down at the sunset you should declare rather than going for an extra 20 runsPut the opposition in during that twilight hour and take two to three wickets straight up That will be more valuable than those 20 runs The reason those wickets would end up being more crucial is the difference between a cool pitch and a wet pitch Get the toporder out when the grass cover on the pitch is cool but not wet If the grass is cool then there will be seam movement but if its wet then it will go straight and just skid through the surface Once the outfield gets wet and if some dew is on offer then it will be easy for batsmen Asked about Indian opening combination Tendulkar said he expects Mayank Agarwal to be a sureshot starterMayank I know is a confirmed starter because he has scored big runs and if Rohit is fit and available then he should be there Between other guys Prithvi Shaw KL Rahul that will be the managements decision as they would be knowing whos the form man He acknowledged that Australias batting unit looks better at this point Smith David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne will be a factor and I am confident that the Indian team will leave no stone unturned as far as preparations are concernedThese two seniors back in the team and also with Labuschangne in there it makes it a much better batting unit It will be a bit more competitive series and I am sure India is ready for it said Tendulkar giving India a good chance of retaining the BorderGavaskar Trophy Like everyone else Tendulkar also agreed that skipper Virat Kohlis absence from three Test matches will create a void but at the same time it would present an opportunity to someone else Kohli will return after the first Test for the birth of his first childVirat not being there without a doubt is a big void but also on the other hand the kind of bench strength that we have and the talent that is available it is a good opportunity for somebody to establish himself Tendulkar said Tendulkar said that when it comes to Test matches the presence of Cheteshwar Pujara is an absolute must I would put Cheteshwar Pujaras name along with Virat These two players have played together more than anyone else There is Ajinkya Rahane as well but he has not played as consistently in the playing XI as Pujara and Virat he reasonedKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest sports news and updates hereAlso download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever