Australia coach backs under-fire Smith as opener for series against India
Rubbing salt to the injury, the 34-year-old Smith could only manage 51 runs from four knocks during the recently-completed 2-0 series victory over New Zealand.
As soon as Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah claimed the wicket of former Australia captain Steve Smith in the Gabba Test, the former gestured “seven” towards the dressing room and stands, making them know that it was the seventh time in the longest format that he got the better of Smith.
Yasir is now only one behind England’s Stuart Broad, who has dismissed Smith eight times in Test cricket across 44 innings. However, Shah has achieved the feat in the space of only 11 innings.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan feels that the former Australia captain needs to show a bit more respect to the Shah.
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“He needs to show a bit more respect to Yasir Shah,” Vaughan told Fox Cricket, adding, “He (Yasir Shah) is an outstanding bowler. But of all those dismissals you would say one skidded on lbw in the UAE, but the rest were just poor shots.”
However, Vaughan believes that Smith will come back strong in the second and final Test match of the series.
“I reckon we will see a different Steve Smith against Shah at the Adelaide Oval. He will give himself a bit more of a chance,” added Vaughan.
Meanwhile, former Australia legendary Shane Warne spinner, said, “Yasir Shah is a quality bowler we know that. But I just wonder with Steve Smith if you look at a few of these dismissals. If you look at some of these outrageous shots he is playing against Yasir Shah.”
“I just don’t know if he thinks I’m not rating him or a lack of respect or whatever it is. But the shots he is getting out to Yasir Shah are very unlike Smith.
“So I think my suggestion would be for Steve Smith to say, I am going to be a bit more conservative to Yasir Shah rather than be so outrageous.
“He has got him seven times in six Tests. Stuart Broad has got him eight times and that was in something like 24 Tests,” Warne added.
Talking about the match, Australia on Sunday thrashed Pakistan by an innings and five runs in the first Test match of the two-match series.
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