Ian Chappell Warns Indian Bowlers Of Bowling Excess Of Short Balls To Steve Smith

Former Australia captain, Ian Chappell sends out a caveat for the Indian pacers to not be tempted to bowl too much of short bowling to Steve Smith in the four-match Test series which begins with a day-night contest in Adelaide.

Steve Smith in the past have seemed unbreachable, he has dominated every bowler he has faced and hadn’t look vulnerable against any bowling type. Until last year, when the right-hander came up against New Zealand’s Neil Wagner.

While Smith did score a couple of half-centuries in that series, he conspicuously wasn’t at his best against the left-arm pacer. Wagner dismissed Smith with short bowling – above waist into the body – in four consecutive innings, and maybe exposed a chink in his armour.

If Steve Smith bats the way he wants to, then you are in trouble: Ian Chappell

After Wagner’s short ball success against the best Test batsman in the world, suddenly there is a lot of chatter about Indian pacers using the same ploy. However, Ian Chappell feels that it would backfire for India if they bowl too much short stuff in direction of Smith.

Chappell underpins this because he believes that Smith is a very strong player on the backfoot. He opined that if India bowls more short balls than they need to, Smith will capitalize on that strategy.

Also, the 31-year-old is too smart to not get rid of even the slightest of vulnerabilities; if he is capable to change his technique during an ongoing Test match – Perth, 2014 against England – then planning how to face a particular delivery should not be a difficult task for the number 1 ICC Test batsman.

As quoted by Sportskeeda, Ian Chappell said, “If he bats the way he wants to, then you are in trouble. As far as I am concerned, if you bowl short of length to Steve Smith then you are playing into his hands. Because you are just playing to his strengths. He is very much a back-foot player.”

Instead of using the short ball, the 77-year-old advises the Indian seamers that they should bowl full and look for swing – which might generate an edge – or target the stumps.

He understands that this a high-risk high reward ploy as Smith could score freely on fuller deliveries, however, full-length balls also have a better chance of producing the wicket of Smith than a barrage of bouncers. Not to forget, against India, the right-hander averages a mammoth 84 in Test cricket.

“You got to get him to play forward. Now that might cost you a few runs but the difference, if you bowl and let him play on the back-foot then he will still score a lot of runs without getting out. But if you are making him play on front-foot then he might score runs and he may give you chances to get out,” Ian Chappell added.

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