Australia's vice-captain, Steve Smith, expressed his belief in the quality of the Indian bowling attack, even in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. He emphasized the need for the Australian batsmen to perform well against them in the upcoming World Test Championship Final at The Oval, starting on June 7. Smith acknowledged the strength of India's seam bowlers, particularly Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, who possess exceptional skills and will be well-suited to the condition with the Dukes' ball. He also praised the Indian spinners, emphasizing their effectiveness in all types of conditions. Smith recognized the challenge posed by India's bowling attack and emphasized the importance of Australia playing well against them.
Siraj Your beauty _#WTCFinal2023 pic.twitter.com/4Qun0SoQTN
— AYAN (@Royals_18) June 5, 2023
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"They have got a good mix of quality seam bowlers, with Shami and Siraj probably their two main guys. They have really good skills and the Dukes' ball will suit them nicely. And then obviously their spinners as well, who bowl well in all conditions. So I think they have a good attack and we are going to have to play well against them this week," said Smith in a press conference at The Oval.
Following the ruling out of fast bowler Josh Hazlewood from the WTC Final due to his ongoing left Achilles and left-side issue, Australia faces a decision between Scott Boland and Michael Neser for the final playing eleven. Smith expressed confidence in Neser's abilities and believes he has the potential to make a significant impact if given the opportunity. Neser's impressive performance in the ongoing county championship with Glamorgan, including notable scores of 123, 86, and 90, have further highlighted his skills as an all-rounder. Smith described Neser as a quality performer with a wide range of skills, including the ability to bowl inswingers on flatter pitches. Smith believed that Neser's batting abilities make him a valuable package overall and expressed confidence in his potential to excel if given the chance to play.
"(I've got) so much faith, he is a quality performer. I faced him against (County side) Glamorgan a couple of weeks ago and he bowled beautifully. He has got great skills and he's added some of the inswingers we have seen him bowl when the wicket is a bit flatter. So he has got loads of skills and is batting nicely as well, so he is a great package. If he gets an opportunity he will certainly do a very good job," he added.
On the other hand, Smith acknowledged the threat posed by Scott Boland, particularly his pace, control, and ability to maintain a probing length on English pitches. However, he noted that Boland has played only one Test away from home, which was against India in Nagpur earlier this year, and is yet to take a wicket outside of Australia in the Test format. Smith acknowledged Boland's skills and the challenges he could present if selected for the playing eleven.
"I think we will get what Scotty does pretty well. He hits a good length, hits the top of the stumps, seams the ball around, swings it if he wants to and he has got great skills as well. No doubt he will be a challenge if he gets the nod," stated Smith. "It's nice to have an end date I suppose, if that's the way you want to go, but ultimately for all of us we've got to be doing our job and that's scoring runs. That's all of our jobs. In an ideal world, I think David said that's when he'd like to finish up, but you've got to score runs, all of us, so we'll just see what happens," he concluded.
Regarding his own future in Test cricket, Smith chose not to provide any clarity, particularly in light of David Warner's recent statement about the ideal finish to his Test career being the match against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground next year. Smith emphasized the importance of all players focusing on their performance and scoring runs. While acknowledging the appeal of having an end date in mind, he emphasized the need for everyone to fulfill their responsibilities and stated that the future will unfold accordingly.
