Steve Smith reveals ambition to dismiss Virat Kohli

Steve Smith reveals ambition to dismiss Virat Kohli: The Australian cricketer has revealed an desire as far as his bowling is concerned.

Australia batsman Steve Smith has ruled out the opinion that Australia will have a significant advantage against India in the four-match Test series scheduled to be played later this year.

Speaking in a Facebook session with Sony Sports India, Smith pointed out Australia’s impressive Test record at the Gabba but didn’t ignore the fact that the Indian Test team has done well overseas in the recent past including a series victory in Australia.

“Tough to say [Australia have the advantage], our record at the Gabba has been good. It’s a bit of a fortress. I guess we wanted to play our first Test there for a long time but I am not sure.

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“India played pretty well in the day-night game they played [against Bangladesh] at Kolkata. So it’s a different game. But they have certainly got the batters to stand up to things when things get tough.

“Their bowlers, they stand their seam up and their quality is. We have played a few more [day-night] games than India. That might be a slight advantage but they are also world-class players. They are also adapting to anything,” Smith was quoted as saying by Sony Sports India.

Steve Smith reveals ambition to dismiss Virat Kohli

Smith, who missed the series when India toured last time, expressed admiration for India captain Virat Kohli. With both the players often getting compared to each other, Smith eulogized Kohli’s passion, fitness and run-chasing ability in ODIs.

“Look, I admire Virat [Kohli] a lot. He is an amazing player. You look at his record now, simply incredible. He’s done so much for India in cricket. They way they play their game now, the sheer passion he has got for Indian cricket.

“His willingness to improve and get better. You can see his body has sort of transformed over time. He is so fit and strong now and powerful. He is pretty amazing for cricket.

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“The one thing I admire the most about him is the white-ball, the way he chases. You look at his average in winning chases in ODIs is simply phenomenal. So good under pressure, calm and just gets the job done more often than not. You have got to admire someone like that,” Smith talked in detail about Kohli.

Smith, who had bowled an over during their ODI against New Zealand which was played behind closed doors in March at the SCG, joked about his bowling ambitions especially regarding Kohli in international cricket.

“I don’t like bowling that much. Every now and then, it’s fine. If I am bowling in a game, that means we’re in trouble. So hopefully, it doesn’t happen too often. You always like to get the best out, why not Virat,” Smith added.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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