Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has applauded Ravindra Jadeja for maintaining his stranglehold on Steve Smith and removing him with a peach of a delivery in the World Cup 2023 clash between India and Australia. Jadeja registered figures of 3/28 in 10 overs, including Smith’s wicket, as the Indian team bowled out the Aussies for 199 in Chennai on Sunday, October 8. Then India chased down the target with six wickets and 52 deliveries in hand.

While reviewing the game on Star Sports, Shastri asked: “Dream dismissal and he has dismissed him 10 to 12 times. He (Smith) is his bunny. It is not that easy to play such a delivery because of the speed at which he bowls. As a batter, you don’t know which ball is going to turn and which ball will go straight. He (Jadeja) himself said in the interview that he doesn’t know which ball will turn and which will go straight. If he doesn’t know, how will the batter know? So he plays inside the line at times and outside the line on other occasions.”

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Shastri said that Jadeja is extremely difficult to face on spin-friendly surfaces. He shared: “If he plays outside, he becomes leg-before and if he plays inside, it hits the stumps, just like it happened with Smith. It’s not easy as he will trouble anyone. If he gets a surface like this, he becomes the most difficult bowler because his every ball does not turn.”

Meanwhile, Irfan Pathan also added that Steve Smith was shocked by Ravindra Jadeja despite having gotten his eye in.

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He added: “Steve Smith was well-set when he came to bowl. He first made him play on the back foot. He tried to bring the ball in and not get it to turn much. The average turn was around 2.3 degrees but he gave more revs on the ball that turned and made him play forward. He didn’t allow Smith to get any idea.”