Steve Smith on Tuesday conceded that he has let Ravichandran Ashwin dictate terms in their duels so far, something that “I’ve probably never let any spinner do in my career”.

Smith has been enduring a horror run in the ongoing Test series with an aggregate of 10 runs from four innings, off-spinner Ashwin accounting for two of his three dismissals.

“I probably haven’t played Ashwin as well as I would’ve liked. I probably would’ve liked to have put him under a bit more pressure,” Smith told SEN Radio. “I’ve sort of let him dictate terms and that’s something I’ve probably never let any spinner do in my career. I’ve sort of taken it to them, been a bit more aggressive and made them change things.”

The 31-year-old Smith said he is desperate to stay at the crease for a long innings.

“It’s kind of a two-edged sword in a way, but I think I’ve just got to have the confidence to take it on and play my game,” he said. “At the moment I’m searching for time in the middle, that’s the most important thing for me. When I look at this year, 64 balls is the longest I’ve spent in the middle, during those ODIs.”