Published 16:22 IST, January 3rd 2021
Matthew Wade confident that Smith will come out on top against Ashwin in last two Tests
Matthew Wade is confident that Steve Smith will come out on top in his individual battle against Ravichandran Ashwin in the final two Tests at SCG & Brisbane
- SportFit
- 2 min read
Australian batsman Matthew Wade has said he is confident that Steve Smith will emerge triumphant in the individual battle going on against Ravichandran Ashwin in the remaining two Tests against India.
Ashwin has already accounted for Smith cheaply in two innings of the first two Test matches for scores of 1 & 0 respectively and currently holds an edge over the former top-ranked Test batsman in the ongoing series. Coincidentally, Smith was caught off the veteran offie's bowling at slips on both occasions (normal slip in 1st Test & leg-slip in 2nd).
'He will be fine': Matthew Wade
"I think they have bowled terrifically well, especially in Melbourne there was more spin and bounce, we did not expect it to come into play as it did, we did not adapt quick enough to that wicket, Steve has played against Ashwin plenty of times before this, Smith has been successful over here and I am sure he will be fine, no problems at all. Ashwin and Jadeja are a difficult spin duo, they are very consistent and we need to find a way, that's the nature of the beast," said Wade while replying to an ANI query during the virtual press conference on Sunday.
Who will gain the upper hand at SCG?
Australia had drawn first blood in the pink-ball Test match at the Adelaide Oval that had ended just inside three days. However, a determined Team India ensured that they have kept the four-match series alive by registering a famous win in the Boxing Day Test match earlier this week.
The focus now shifts towards the third Test match that will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground next Thursday i.e. January 7, 2021. Both teams will be hoping to secure the four-match series by winning the SCG Test. The winner of this contest will ensure that they at least do not end up losing the Test series.
(With ANI Inputs)
Updated 16:22 IST, January 3rd 2021