Mohammed Siraj (L) and Steve Smith (R). [AP Photo]
Australia’s vice-captain Steve Smith has identified Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj as the main threats in India's bowling attack for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final, starting June 7 at the Kennington Oval, London.
Smith believes that the conditions at the Oval will initially favour the fast bowlers, providing them with the opportunity to generate swing and seam movement.
Given these conditions, the experienced duo of Shami and Siraj is likely to share the new ball for India. However, there is also competition from other contenders such as Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, and the recalled all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
Smith acknowledges that Australia will need to perform at their best to counter the Indian bowlers, as the use of the Dukes ball is expected to suit them well. He highlights the impressive skills of India's seam bowlers, particularly Shami and Siraj.
Furthermore, Smith praises the proficiency of India's spinners, recognizing their ability to excel in various conditions.
“They have got a good mix of quality seam bowlers, with (Mohammed) Shami and (Mohammed) 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,” Steve Smith said in a pre-match press conference ahead of the WTC Final on June 5.
The battle between India's seamers and Australia's batting lineup will be one to watch, with both sides aiming to seize the advantage in the early stages of the match. Additionally, the contest between Australia's batters and India's spinners promises to be an intriguing subplot, as the spinners look to exploit any turn and bounce on offer.
 "Vaibhav Tripathi")
