India vs Australia : Brad Hogg slams India for not employing the short ball against Steve Smith

In the build-up to the much-awaited India‘s tour of Australia, the short ball strategy against Steve Smith was the talk of the town. Short balls are a well-known weakness of the New South Welshman. And he has fallen prey to it numerous times in white-ball cricket. But India allowed Smith to build his innings without turning to the bumper even once early in his innings.

The Australian batting maestro struck a scintillating 62 ball ton in the first ODI. And followed it up with a similar 62 ball hundred in the second ODI in Sydney. Smith toyed around with the Indian bowlers as the visitors were left helpless without a plan on both occasions.

They didn’t attempt to bounce them out

Former Aussie spinner Brad Hogg slammed India for not attacking Smith with the short ball. Hogg pointed out that the men in blue bowled in his slot which helped him hammer them not once but twice. The former Chinaman adds that Smith’s unorthodox stance makes him vulnerable on the pull. And Indians can tame him across formats if they exploit the chink in his armour.

“The big issue for me for India was when Steve Smith came out. They didn’t attempt to bounce him out at any stage. They bowled on a good length or a little fuller. I can’t understand that, because Steve Smith’s weakness is with the short-ball,” Hogg said in a video on his YouTube Channel.

“Steve Smith walks around, he was both legs planted and he is a little chest-on. So he can’t duck and leave and has to play the pull shot. You could have set the entire tour up by having Steve Smith on the back foot.”

Hogg shares that it was the same in the case of Glenn Maxwell who played quick-fire cameos in both the encounters to propel the Aussies to humongous totals. The handy allrounder struck an impeccable 29-ball 63 in the second ODI following up his blistering 19-ball 45 in the first encounter. Hogg feels that the visitors missed a trick again by not marauding the right-hander with short stuff.

“And again Glenn Maxwell, just bowling full yorkers to him so that he can play those reverse sweeps. He is a player that you should bowl the short ball to and they didn’t do it enough.”

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