Steven Smith
Steven Smith. PIc Credits: Twitter.

Given the “irrelevant” pitches the squad faced on the previous trip, Steve Smith believes Australia made the correct decision not to book a tour game in India.

The Australian men’s team last visited India in early 2017, returning with a 2-1 series loss, extending a streak that dates back to 2004. They left Sydney on Tuesday for a four-Test series that begins on February 9 in Nagpur.

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Steve Smith
Steve Smith (Image Credits: Twitter)

I Think We’ve Made The Right Decision To Not Play A Tour Match: Steve Smith

The first competitive match Australia would play in India might be the first Test in Nagpur, as they avoided the normal method of playing warm-up games prior to the four-Test series. Before they went to Bangalore, where they would be stationed for five days, on Monday evening, ace batsman Steve Smith revealed the reason.

“The last time we went I’m pretty sure we got served up a green-top (to practice on) and it was sort of irrelevant. We’re better off having our own nets and getting spinners in and bowling as much as they can.We’ll wait and see when we hit the ground. I think we’ve made the right decision to not play a tour match,” he said.

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Steve Smith
Steve Smith (Image Credits: Twitter)

Coach Andrew McDonald has also expressed his reasoning for the choice.

“No tour game is something we’ve done in the last few series, before embarking on overseas tours. We feel as though we don’t need that match practice as such. We’re going to go to India about a week out from the first game. We didn’t want to press for too much longer, in terms of the preparation,” he told Sydney Morning Herald.

“We’ve done it before with the Pakistan build-up in Melbourne. Dusting up wickets. Working with the local groundsmen who really help us in and around the country.We feel as though we can get as close to that as possible without necessarily having a practice game,” he added.

Michael Clarke Criticizes Decision Of No Warm-up Game

Former Australian cricketers, on the other hand, have been widely chastised for not choosing for warm-up games. Former captain Michael Clarke was the most critical.

“That’s the part I don’t understand,” Clarke said. “The no tour game before the first Test in India. I hope I’m proven wrong but I think that is going to be significant. Batting in those conditions in one-day cricket and T20 cricket is one thing, batting in Indian conditions in Test cricket it is a completely different game,” he told Big Sports.

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Michael Clarke
Michael Clarke (Image Credit: Twitter)

Their trip preparations included a weekend training camp in North Sydney, where curators were requested to build a pitch that would resemble a dry, cracked deck in India.“We feel as though seven days is ample time to get ready and to make sure we maintain freshness throughout the whole four Test match series.”

I Don’t Know If It’s The Final Frontier: Steve Smith

Steve Smith, on the other hand, refused to term the trip the “last frontier.”

“It’s certainly huge. I don’t know if it’s the final frontier. India and England – our two opponents over the next six months – are probably our biggest as an Australian Test cricketer. We’ve got some challenges in front of us, but the guys are ready for it. I’ve never won (in India), I’ve been there twice. In fact it’s been very difficult playing there.” he added.

Steve Smith scored 499 runs at an average of 71 in his previous tour to India, including three centuries. It came after a three-year purple streak before his form slipped slightly, only to resurface in the last year. Smith has hit 1027 runs at an average of 85.58 in his past 16 innings across all formats. “I’m starting to feel like I felt back then. It sounds strange because I’ve scored quite a few runs in the meantime,” Steve Smith said.

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“The optimum for me, I’ve got that back in terms of my grip, and where my feet are going, and how my weight is transferring. I feel in a really good place so hopefully the next six months is really big for me and the team,” he added.

Steven Smith
Steve Smith. Pic Credits: Twitter.

He stated that he would like playing on spinning wickets.“I really enjoy playing on those spinning tracks there, so much fun and there’s always something happening,” he said.

He did, however, emphasise that not all tracks are spinning courses, as they would be touted before to the game. “But you know, if they’re not the spinning ones and they’re a bit flatter there, the ones where you can really cash in and you have to make big, big scores. I think that’s certainly one thing that I’ll be telling the boys when we get over there.

“That’s one of my experiences that I’ve had, and you can only play according to the surface that’s in front of you.”

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