‘Australia won that battle’: Steve Smith gets last laugh as sledge battle caught on mic

Steve Smith got the last laugh after a prickly sledging exchange with an Indian batter was overheard during the SCG Test.

Steve Smith and Australia got the better of India’s Shubman Gill after a sledging battle between the two gun batters.

Gill was trying his best to make it through to the lunch break on Day 1 of the fifth Test after India won the toss and elected to bat.

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Nathan Lyon had been brought into the attack and Gill was taking his time between deliveries, doing some gardening on the pitch in an effort to avoid facing another over before lunch.

Fox Cricket captured Smith and Labuschagne chirping at Gill urging him to hurry up.
Marnus Labuschagne: “Easy, got it in easy!” He needs to call for the ‘sprain’

Steve Smith: “This is bull****! Oi, let’s play!”

Shubman Gill: “You take your time Smithy, no one says anything to you!”

Smith: “Just play mate. Let’s play.”

Labuschagne: “Take your time son.”

The very next ball after the exchange, Gill danced down the pitch only to edge a delivery from Lyon straight to Smith at slip.

Watch Steve Smith and Shubman Gill’s exchange in the video above

Steve Smith tells Shubman Gill, let's play. Photo: Fox Cricket.

Smith and Labuschagne were animated as they celebrated the wicket and gave Gill a mini send-off.

Gill, who came into India’s XI in place of Rohit Sharma, was on his way to back the pavilion for 20.

Smith said at the lunch break: “Shubman was trying to take his time there. It probably played into our hands.

“He actually said something to me like I take my time. Yeah, I don’t know. He decided to run on the last one and I think he was trying to launch him (Lyon). That happens.”

Adam Gilchrist added on Fox Cricket: “There was some nice by-play before his dismissal. I’d say Australia won that little battle.

“Shubman Gill just trying to drag it out and ensure that was the last over (before lunch).

“Engaged in a bit of verbal back and forth. It was a really interesting stroke, wasn’t sure if he hadn’t focused back in on concentrating on that very last delivery and just shuffled down the crease.”

Smith and Labuschagne were happy to see the back of Gill. Photo: Fox Cricket.

Smith was in the thick of things as Australia took three wickets in the opening session.

Scott Boland appeared to have Kohli dismissed for a golden duck when the superstar batsman edged to Smith at second slip.

The Aussie vice captain launched into the air to snatch the ball as it hit the ground. His catch had his teammates yahooing in all directions before the on-field umpires asked to review the footage of the catch.

Replays showed Smith’s hands got under the ball as he parried it to Marnus Labuschagne, who was fielding in the gully.

However, inconclusive footage also appeared to show the ball made contact with the grass. That was enough for video umpire Joel Wilson to take give the batsman the benefit of the doubt.

“Oh my word, what are we seeing here,” Fox Cricket’s Isa Guha said.

“The Australian fans will fell they’ve been robbed, the Indian fans will feel very relieved.”

Aussie Test great Mark Waugh said Kohli should have been given out and added that the dismissal would have been given “every day of the week”.

Asked at the lunch break if he got his fingers underneath the ball, Steve Smith said: “100 per cent, no doubt whatsoever. But the umpires made the decision and we move on.”

When play resumed after lunch, Smith dropped a straightforward catch when Ravindra Jadeja was on 3.

Smith is set to get the chance to captain Australia again, with Pat Cummins likely to miss some of the two-Test series in Sri Lanka beginning in late January to be at the birth of his second child.

Originally published as ‘Australia won that battle’: Steve Smith gets last laugh as sledge battle caught on mic