‘Bloody hell’: Allan Border slams Steve Smith act as Australia thumped

Former captain Allan Border said Australia “got it wrong” in the first Test against India, as he took aim at a bizarre Steve Smith act.

Allan Border has called for Australia to redevelop its hard edge, calling out Steve Smith for giving a thumbs up to the bowlers after they beat the bat.

Smith was probably the only Aussie batter to put up a fight in the match, facing 107 balls before being bamboozled by Ravindra Jadeja in the first match, while left the last Aussie standing for 25 not out in the second innings as Australia capitulated for 91.

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The post-mortem started immediately for Australia with the man known as “Captain Grumpy” pointing to Smith giving a thumbs up to Indian bowlers who had beaten his outside edge as part of the problem.

Asked what Australia needed to do, Border said he believed their would be changes with the likes of Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green expected to be fit.

While he said he didn’t believe in a “kneejerk” reaction, he did believe Australia got it wrong for this match.

He also criticised how friendly the Aussies were, calling for Smith and his teammates to rediscover their ruthless streak, without going overboard.

Steve Smith needs to stop that. Photo: Twitter

“Play with a harder edge. I mean, we’re giving blokes the thumbs up when they’re beating us outside the off stump,” Border said.

“What the hell is going on? That is just ridiculous.

“Don’t go stupid but Australia play hard-nosed cricket.

“We’re even giving someone thumbs up who’s beaten you outside the off-stump, bloody hell.”

It’s not the first time Smith has done it either.

In the tour of Sri Lanka last year, he gave Prabath Jayasuriya a thumbs up when he was beaten.

Just Steve Smith doing Steve Smith things😂

He gave thumbs up to Prabath Jayasuriya for bowling a good delivery😁

📸: Sony Sports pic.twitter.com/L8NecRvcIp

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) July 8, 2022

Love how Steve Smith gives Ravindra Jadeja a thumbs up every time Jadeja beats him silly 👍#INDvsAUS

— Sushant Mehta (@SushantNMehta) February 11, 2023

Brad Haddin agreed and said the planning was correct from Australia as they spoke about defending the straight ball but were out either bowled or LBW for 15 of the 20 wickets that fell in the match.

“India didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, they did the basics well, they challenged our defence and we weren’t able to stay there long enough,” Haddin said.

But as the players started to second guess themselves in the second innings, it was a complete capitulation.

It was the second lowest total Australia has had against India and the lowest total Australia has ever had against India in India.

The loss was also Australia’s third biggest loss in India in history, bettering only an innings and 135 run loss in Hyderabad in 2013 and an innings and 219 run loss at Eden Gardens in 1998.

Steve Smith alone looked at all comfortable. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Border was far from happy with how Australia approached the match, saying he was “shell-shocked” and hoped “our guys were embarrassed by that performance”.

“It was poor, it was just poor all around,” he said. “To concede 400 runs to India, who batted superbly on that surface and to be bowled out cheaply twice within three days, it’s a stark relief that it’s happened so quickly.”

But in India’s last tour of Australia, they were bowled out for 36 in the second innings in Adelaide before going on to win the series 2-1, maybe it’s Australia’s time for a stunning resurrection.

“That’s as bad as we can play, there’s only one way we can go from here,” Border added.