On day two of the World Test Championship final at The Oval, Australia’s speed attack destroyed India’s top order. Steve Smith played spectacularly and gained praise from India’s former captain Virat Kohli.
In response to Australia’s 469 runs, India was 5-151 at stumps. However, a key 71-run partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja in the evening session gave Rohit Sharma’s team some hope. But if not for Cummins’ front-foot transgression, Rahane ought to have been benched for 17 points.
With the pace ramping up in the afternoon session thanks to a trio of boundaries off Shami’s 29th over, Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who was playing his maiden Test match in England, made sure there were no more casualties before the lunch break.
Steve Smith
Australian cricketer Steve Smith is regarded as one of the game’s top batsmen in the present. On June 2, 1989, he was born in Sydney, Australia. Smith is renowned for his unusual approach to hitting, superb technique, and astounding consistency.
Smith made his Australia debut at the international level in a T20 match against Pakistan in 2010. He quickly built a name for himself as a gifted athlete and made his Test debut against Pakistan in 2010. But he really showed his talent in the game’s extended format.
Smith has accomplished much as a Test player thanks to his batting style and knack to understand the game. He played some remarkable innings of play, including several double centuries, and gained notoriety for his prodigious ability to score runs. When Smith was named the Australian Test team’s captain in 2015, his career reached its zenith.
Smith, however, became embroiled in a scandal involving ball tampering in a Test match against South Africa in 2018. He was thus deprived of his captaincy and given a one-year suspension from both local and international cricket. Smith completed his suspension and successfully made a comeback to international cricket in 2019.
Praise from India’s former captain
Virat Kohli, an opponent Indian player, praised Smith highly after the game. No one in this generation, in Virat Kohli’s opinion, comes close to Steve Smith when it comes to Test cricket. According to Kohli, Smith’s versatility, comprehension of situations, and ability to play in accordance with the circumstances at hand are unparalleled.
Kohli also complimented Smith’s outstanding performance, which he finds amazing, averaging over 60 over a stretch of 85 or 90 games. Smith is without a doubt the best Test player of their generation, according to Kohli, who concluded.
WTC 2023 update
Moments after the game started on Thursday morning, Smith announced his 31st Test century. On 95 and unbeaten overnight, the New South Welshman kissed the Australian coat of arms on his helmet and clipped his first two deliveries through square leg for back-to-back boundaries. It was his ninth Test century against India, tying the record, and his seventh in England, second only to Sir Donald Bradman among touring players.
When Head stepped over his stumps and flicked a legal catch through to wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat, departing for 163, Siraj at last made the long-awaited breakthrough. Head and Smith had put up a grueling 285-run partnership.
Axar Patal, a fill-in fielder, successfully completed a run out at the non-striker’s end after Mitchell Starc fended towards mid-off and started off for a reckless single. Over the course of fewer than 13 overs, Australia had abruptly lost 4-51.
Siraj completed the innings by quickly dismissing both Cummins (9) and Nathan Lyon (9), finishing with 4-108 from his 28.3 overs.
India’s innings got off to a fast start with Rohit Sharma and opener partner Shubman Gill, who scored 22 runs in the initial three overs as Australia’s quicks failed to establish their length early.
After the break, Cheteshwar Pujara fell in a similar way as Gill, adding to India’s difficulties, leaving just a wobble-seam delivery from Green that nipped back and struck off stump. Before taking his first Test wicket against India, Green had already given up 230 runs against the Asian country.