Opposition teams have started to work out the ways to slow down Steve Smith, claims Ricky Ponting

Considered to be one of the fab four in world cricket Steve Smith is currently struggling to score runs with consistency. The series against Sri Lanka earlier this month was average except for a hundred he scored in the second Test. Since the Ashes in 2019, he has two centuries and seven fifties in red-ball cricket. Ricky Ponting is of the opinion that Smith’s form is ‘indifferent’ and the opposition teams are finding out ways to dismiss him. 

"The best way to describe it is, it (Smith's form) has been indifferent. For four or five years, he has been so incredibly consistent, making consistently high scores, making four, five or six hundreds in a Test match calendar year and he hasn't been able to do that in the last couple of years," Ponting said on 'The ICC Review'.

"Opposition teams maybe have finally started to work out the way they can slow him down from scoring quickly or have found some ways to attack him and get him out," he added.

Australia will tour India in February-March next year for five Tests. The series will be a part of the World Test Championship(WTC) 2021-23 cycle. Australia will be aiming to enter the final of the tournament and so Steve Smith’s form will be crucial. Ponting believes that Smith will get back his mojo soon.

"But knowing Steve and how well he prepares himself and how deeply he thinks about his game, I don't think it's going to be too long before you see him back there scoring heavily again. Both India and Australia can finish among the top two in the WTC standings and reach the final,” he stated.

"I think Australia's chances really hinge on the upcoming Indian tour, to be honest, and India's chances are a little bit the same.”