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Steve Smith will be the biggest challenge for Indian bowlers during Test series in Australia: RP Singh - Exclusive

In an exclusive chat with MyKhel, former India pacer RP Singh said the Tim Paine-led side seems more balanced now and that Steve Smith is going to be the biggest threat to Indian bowlers in India's upcoming tour of Australia.

Steve Smith will be the biggest challenge for Indian bowlers during Test series in Australia: RP Singh - Exclusive

New Delhi, August 23: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has hailed the Virat Kohli-led Indian Test side as the best ever due to the quality pace attack it comprises. Kohli and his band will begin their Test campaign Down Under with a four-Test series against Australia, starting December 3.

The series is a highly anticipated one because Team India came out victorious when they last arrived at the Australian shores in 2018-19. However, a lot has changed ever since and the current Australian side looks a formidable one with the return of Steve Smith and David Warner - who missed the previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to the ball-tampering ban.

Former India pacer RP Singh invests in sports tech company SportsUnoFormer India pacer RP Singh invests in sports tech company SportsUno

According to former India pacer Rudra Pratap Singh, the upcoming tour will be more challenging for the Indian side than it was last time for obvious reasons i.e. Australia's batting looks stronger now.

In an exclusive chat with MyKhel, RP Singh said the Tim Paine-led side seems more balanced now and that Smith is going to be the biggest threat to Indian bowlers.

Asked how difficult it is going to be for Team India in Australia, the left-arm pacer said: "Yes, the return of David Warner and Steve Smith makes the Australian side balanced and strong. But I personally think Smith is going to be the biggest challenge for our bowlers during the Test series. He's been in phenomenal form ever since his return to international cricket and climbed to number one spot in Test rankings for batsmen in no time despite not playing for more than a year. His unconventional batting style makes it even difficult for the bowlers to dismiss him. He's going to be the biggest threat for sure and the contest between bat and ball, down under, is definitely going to be very interesting."

However, the 34-year-old exuded confidence that the Indian bowlers are capable of destroying even the best of batting attacks and that the likes of Kohlis, Rohits, Pujaras and Rahanes are going to play a key role in the batting department.

"If we talk about Team India, our pacers are also world-class and they capable of picking up 20 wickets in a game. As far as our batting is concerned then we have quality players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. Their performance will be key to India's success Down Under this time around as well," he added further.

Asked about the difference he's spotted between the captaincy styles of Virat Kohli and his predecessor MS Dhoni, RP said both are poles apart as captains but their objective has always been the same i.e. winning matches.

"MS, as you know, keenly observes everything from behind the stumps and has a 360-degree view of the ground so he guides the bowlers accordingly. Virat, on the other hand, is an aggressive captain and relies heavily on the pace battery. But ultimately their aim has always been winning the games.

MS likes finger spinners like Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin because they bowl a tight length to build pressure on the batsmen. While Virat relies on wrist-spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav who bowl the attacking lines to get wickets and build pressure on the opposition. But both like to lead from the front and score runs. If we look at Virat, then we can easily say he's the best batsman across the formats.

Story first published: Sunday, August 23, 2020, 14:24 [IST]
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