Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull has had a good enough look at Steve Smith to know the Australian captain's defences are near-impossible to breach.
And his recommendation to Black Caps bowlers: dont' bother trying.
Despite an early-innings blemish when Kiwi paceman Trent Boult nearly trapped him lbw, Smith was scintillating during his innings of 164 off 157 balls at the SCG on Sunday.
The record-breaking knock sunk the tourists in the one-day international series' first game and Doull is calling for a change of game plan for the second match in Canberra on Tuesday.
"They (New Zealand) have got to find a better way. You've got to make him change his game," Doull told the New Zealand Herald.
"Steve Smith is a bit like a Virat Kohli. You've got to bowl almost a foot outside off-stump, set a field for one side of the ground only.
"You don't even try and bowl him out."
Smith struck 14 fours and four sixes to record the highest ODI score at the SCG and fourth highest one-day score by an Australian on home soil.
And it wasn't just with the bat that Smith starred on Sunday, taking a spectacular one-handed catch at backward point to dismiss BJ Watling.
Doull has warned Kiwi bowlers against bowling to his strength on the pads.
"Apart from that first one from Trent Boult that they didn't review, Smith very rarely misses the ball that's straight," Doull said.
"He suckers you into bowling straight so he can work it through the on-side."
