Australia’s assistant coach Andrew McDonald has admitted that Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne have been easily trapped because of the Indian bowler’s astute tactics.
Ravichandran Ashwin got the better of Steve Smith in the first two matches. Ashwin removed Smith with an under-cutter that went with the arm in the first innings of the Adelaide Test. The off-spinner got Smith caught at leg-slip in the first innings of the Melbourne Test. In the second innings too, Smith was struggling to pick Ashwin before getting bowled around the legs by Jasprit Bumrah.
On the other hand, Marnus Labuschange was also unsure of how to deal with the spinner. Although he scored 47 in the first innings in Adelaide, he was gifted a couple of chances. But he was halted to score big in the last three innings.
Andrew McDonald was not shy to say that Smith has not come good yet. But he believes that he was looking good at nets.
“I wouldn’t be too quick to judge Steve Smith in the middle. Yeah, he hasn’t got going yet in this series. In the first four balls he faced in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test, he looked pretty solid, has looked good at the nets too. and Marnus too,” said Australia assistant coach Andrew McDonald while speaking to the media on Thursday.
India have been able to control Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne: Andrew McDonald
McDonald explains that Indians have managed to control Australia’s top two batsmen, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, in the first two Test matches with the ‘leg-side theory’
“The question for me at the moment is the tactical way India have prepared and have been able to control those two players especially with a sort of leg-side theory so to speak. So I suppose those two players will have to come out with a better method.
“I don’t think it has to do anything technically. They are technically in a good space but it is the method to score runs and how they are going to combat these tactics from India bowlers and captains, that has been discussed in our conversation,” added McDonald.
The Aussie assistant coach admitted that the field placements been changing constantly leaving the batsmen confused. He hopes that the two batting mainstay could overhaul India’s tactics in the third match.
“Their tactics change suddenly. Sometimes they go out with two men out, sometimes they out with leg gully, sometimes they go with box mid-wicket, the bat-pad moves around with the angle. We are back Smith and Labuschagne to read that,” added McDonald.
After an embarrassing defeat in the first Test, India bounced back stronger in the second Test to beat them by eight wickets. They will play the third Test in Sydney beginning on January 7.