India vs Australia: ‘No one more determined than him to score runs’ – Tom Moody confident of ‘caged lion’ Steve Smith ‘bursting out’ in final two Tests


India vs Australia: ‘No one more determined than him to score runs’ – Tom Moody confident of ‘caged lion’ Steve Smith ‘bursting out’ in final two Tests

Steve Smith

Steve Smith

The ongoing Border Gavaskar series has had numerous taking point from the very day it was announced. But one thing which never occurred in the build-up to the Test series was the thought of Steve Smith misfiring against India. Smith enjoys an otherworldly record against the subcontinent giants with his average well above 100. But the story has been different this series as the Aussie suffers the longest century drought in his Test career.

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Smith was not able to get into double digits this series until the ongoing Test in Sydney. And former Australia allrounder Tom Moody is confident that Smith will come good in the final two Tests. Moody labelled Smith as a ‘caged lion’ as he expressed his confidence in the ICC Test Cricketer of the Decade. The former Aussie international adds that no is ad determined to score runs like him. And given the fact he lost the top spot in the Test rankings, he must be rearing to regain it.

You have to look at his record, he is overdue, that doesn’t give you any guarantees but what it tells us that there is a caged lion ready to burst out and there is no one more determined than him to make sure that he is scoring runs in the new year,” Moody told ESPN Cricinfo.

There is always that talk between Williamson, and Kohli and Smith, so he will be very keen to make sure he remains in that conversation regularly,” he added.

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The longer great players miss out, the sooner they come good again

Steve Smith
Steve Smith

Australia coach Justin Langer also had kind words for the batting mainstay ahead of the third Test. Langer is confident that Smith will be back to his old self sooner than later. And the hosts are definitely banking on the hope as the series hangs in the balance.

Imagine how good we will be when he does start batting — that’s how I look at it. He hasn’t had the best of series so far. He will be the first to admit that. My gosh, what I know about great players, the longer they miss out, the sooner they are coming good again,” Langer said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

At the end of first day’s play at the SCG, Smith seemed to have ‘found his hands’ yet again this tour. The New South Welshman looked solid as he remained unbeaten on 31, his highest score of the series so far. As of now, Smith looks set for a big innings in Sydney as Australia look to cash in against an inexperienced Indian pace battery.

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