'India played all their games here, have seen what pitch is doing' - Steve Smith ahead of IND vs AUS Champions Trophy semi-final (Source: Getty Images)
Amid Australia gearing up to take on India in the ICC semi-final, captain Steve Smith has spoken about the advantage the Men in Blue hold, having played all their group-stage matches in Dubai. Smith opened up on the challenge produced by India’s spin attack on a dry surface and mentioned the importance of his team’s approach against the slow bowlers.
The Rohit Sharma-led side enters this clash with a six-match winning streak in ODIs. After a 3-0 whitewash of England at home, they have registered clinical victories against Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy. Their most recent performance saw them break through the Kiwi's batting lineup using four spinners, registering a 44-run win.
Meanwhile, finished second in Group B. Their campaign started with a brilliant chase against England. However, their subsequent two matches ended in washouts. Ahead of the semi-final, Smith spoke about India’s familiarity with Dubai’s conditions, giving them an edge.
“India obviously played all the games here. So they've seen what the pitch is doing. I don't know if it is an advantage. Obviously, the whole square block is pretty dry. So, we've seen how the wickets are played," Smith said during the pre-match press conference.
Travis has stood up in many of those in the past: SmithFurthermore, pointed out that the dry conditions in Dubai favour spin bowling, which plays into India’s strengths. The right-handed batter stressed that playing spin effectively would be beneficial to Australia’s chances.
"I think not just (Varun) Chakravarthy, I think the rest of their spin has quality as well. So I think for us, the game is probably how we play their spin. Yeah, it's going to be a challenge. I think there's going to be some spin and yeah, we've got to counter that. We'll see how we do that tomorrow. We've got a few options on how we can go about it,” he added.
Also Read:Despite the pressure of a knockout game, Smith backed his players, especially opener Travis Head, to step up. Head has previously been the difference-maker in the WTC and ODI World Cup final in 2023 against India, scoring tons on both occasions.
"There's pressure every time you play in a big game. But as we know, Travis has stood up in many of those in the past. You know, he looked in great touch the other night against Afghanistan. I'm sure he's going to be looking to come out here and play the same way he's played for a long time with good intent, good aggression. Hopefully, he can get away in that power play and get results from that," Smith concluded.
