‘India need to pick fight with Australia’: Zaheer Khan suggests increase in intensity

Steve Smith has scored centuries in both the ODIs to be played so far. (AP)

India need to increase their intensity on the field to trouble Australia in the ongoing series, former India cricketer Zaheer Khan has suggested. He said the visitors need to ‘pick that fight’ with the hosts and maybe even ‘remind Smith and Warner’ of the ‘Sandpaper-gate incident from a few years ago to rile them up.

Speaking on Cricbuzz Live, Zaheer Khan said, “At times when things aren’t going your way you just have to find something to bring out that intensity. They have to pick that fight maybe. Not in a bad way — staying in the boundaries and bringing out that intensity at times.”

Steve Smith’s last five ODI scores v India:

69, 98, 131, 105, 104 (today) ????

What a player! pic.twitter.com/MmzcSZGMRo

— ICC (@ICC) November 29, 2020

Zaheer Khan also said Ravi Shastri, the head coach, would know exactly how to go about such a ploy. India could get under the skins of Steve Smith and David Warner by reminding them of the ball tampering with sandpaper incident from two years ago.

“Knowing the coach Ravi Shastri, he should take a leaf out of old school cricket and maybe remind Smith and Warner about what has happened a couple of years back. It’s going to be a long tour. They should try everything and anything possible,” Zaheer Khan said.

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