Steve Smith reveals vertigo almost stopped him from playing ODI against India

Steve Smith has revealed just how bad his battle with vertigo has been, after he was almost scratched from playing against India in their ODI yesterday.

Steve Smith has found another level. Picture: Getty Images

Steve Smith has made the startling revelation that he nearly missed Sunday’s second ODI where he made the best white ball hundred of his career, because of an extreme bout of vertigo.

It’s the Australian batsman’s second episode of vertigo in recent months, but it’s understood there are no concerns about it being a major problem for him and has nothing to do with the concussion he suffered in England back in September.

Smith was in doubt right up until a short time before Sunday’s action started at the SCG.

It’s yet another reason to marvel at Smith’s magic abilities, after he went out and equaled his own record (from two nights previous) for the third fastest century in Australian ODI history, but also slightly disconcerting that Smith could be vulnerable to a similar episode on the morning of a Test.

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Steve Smith was at his best … again!

Cricket.com revealed that Smith woke up sick and feeling the world was spinning around him, and required treatment from team doctor Leigh Golding to help remove ‘ear rocks’ that had formed in his inner ear.

“I didn’t know I was playing today,” Smith told cricket.com.au.

“(Yesterday) morning I was no good, I thought I was going to struggle.

“I had a really bad dose of vertigo this morning and I was struggling until … I came down early to have a hit and a bit of a run around.

“The doctor, I think he performed six Epley manoeuvres on me this morning and got the crystals out of my ears and I was struggling for a bit.

“Just pleased to be able to get out here and play another good innings and help the team.”

Smith is coming home like a runaway train in his bid to be crowned cricketer of the decade.

Two days after making his stunning 62-ball ODI hundred, the magic man of Australian cricket walked back onto the SCG on Sunday and did the exact same again, right down to the balls faced, as the home side smashed India by 51 runs to claim the series.

Votes close for the International Cricket Council’s prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers cricketer of the decade award on December 6, and Smith is putting forward a powerful late case to the panel of judges that he should dethrone the likes of King Kohli and AB de Villiers as the GOD (Greatest of Decade).

At a time when the world of soccer is bereaving the man who had the Hand of God, Smith’s proclamation last week that he had finally “found his hands” after a period of sluggish form, is starting to look like cricket’s own version of divine intervention.

Particularly when those hands held onto a scintillating diving catch which might have been hard to beat as grab of the summer, until Moises Henriques celebrated his inspiring return to international cricket with an equally spectacular effort to remove India’s only hope Virat Kohli (89).

David Warner (83), Aaron Finch (60), Marnus Labuschagne (70) and a six-hitting fireworks display from Glenn Maxwell (63 not out off 29 balls) meant every batsman contributed to Australia’s massive total of 389 – their biggest ever at the SCG.

But Smith was again the main event with 14 fours and two sixes, before Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Henriques and some superb in-fielding slowly suffocated the Indians (9-338) into submission.

Steve Smith has found his hands ... and India is losing its mind. #AUSvsIND

— Sam Landsberger 🗯 (@SamLandsberger) November 29, 2020

Other than the potentially seismic blow of Warner’s groin injury, and Mitchell Starc’s shaky form (0-82), Australia look in an ominous mood to start the summer.

Kohli and de Villiers are more known for their white ball feats than Smith, but the Australian’s 62-ball double dose of punishment for India proved that the country’s best since Bradman may have reinvented himself once again.

Normally an accumulator and anchor in the shorter formats, Smith has blazed back-to-back centuries at a quicker rate than any Australian other than Maxwell (51 balls, 2015) and James Faulkner (57 balls, 2013) … and coincidentally, the likes of de Villiers (31 balls, 2015) and Kohli (52 balls, 2013).

Steve Smith celebrates his century. Picture: Brett Costello

Steve Smith kisses his helmet after reaching his century. Picture: Getty Images

Sunday’s Smith hundred (which lifted Australia to a mouth-watering 763 runs over their last two innings), would have bettered Friday’s effort by a ball, had partner Labuschagne not slipped over on his way back for a second when Smith was on 98.

Smith’s extraordinary feats against England in last year’s Ashes suggested he was a man at the peak of his powers, but his incredible start to the summer shows he is still evolving.

The ICC’s Cricketer of the decade is recognition for best of the best across all formats of the game.

Smith stands ahead of Kohli and de Villiers on Test match performances – the category that should carry more weight with judges – and his timing couldn’t be better with his white ball ambush of Kohli’s Indians.

Smith’s other competition is Ravi Ashwin, Joe Root, Kumar Sangakkara and Kane Williamson.

Australia dwarfed their game one total of 374, with an even more dominant display against an even more inept Indian bowling and fielding outfit.

Embarrassing dropped catches and insipid bowling has alarm bells ringing for India’s summer tour, with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami barely creating a chance as the heavyweight combination of Warner and Finch put on 142 for the first wicket.

It’s the 12th century partnership for the pairing who first met as 15-year-old’s at a country carnival, and they’re hunting down Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden (16 century partnerships) as Australia’s all-time ODI kings.

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Virat Kohli was dismissed for 89.

Maxwell was superb after coming in at the 42-over mark and humiliated India for the second straight occasion, after also smashing 45 off 19 balls in game one.

Just being selected as Marcus Stoinis’ replacement was a deserved feather in the cap for Henriques, one of Australian sport’s most powerful voices on mental health, who has bravely detailed his struggles over recent years.

But he took a key wicket and amazing catch to really savour the occasion after only getting to face one ball with the bat.

Labuschagne and Smith resumed their love match with a century partnership that carried Australia through the middle overs.