Steve Smith’s dramatic decline continues in heavy Indian defeat

Steve Smith, once comfortably the best batter in the world, is on a dramatic downward spiral and the numbers paint a bleak picture.

The cricket world is all starting to say the same thing about Steve Smith’s Test career.

India put the finishing touches on a commanding 295-run victory on Monday, taking a 1-0 lead in the series with well over a day to spare.

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Just one Test into a five-match summer, the Australian side is already under extreme pressure, with the batters feeling the most heat.

While Nathan McSweeney is the new man atop the order, and will surely be given a chance to improve on returns of 10 and 0 next up in his home Test in Adelaide, the spotlight is squarely on some of his experienced teammates.

Steve Smith's golden duck and reacting after getting out in the second innings. Photos: Getty Images/AFP

No. 3 Marnus Labuschagne looks all at sea, falling for a 52-ball two in the first innings and compounding a horrible leave off Jasprit Bumrah by then asking for a review as he fell for just three in the second dig.

The man under just as much pressure is 35-year-old Smith, whose career has been on a fierce downward spiral over the last 12 months.

While his career average remains a very healthy 56.4, it is dropping by the innings, from a freakish high of just below 65 back in 2019.

And a look at his last 10 innings in Test match cricket make for alarming reading.

In his last five Test matches played — two against the West Indies, two against New Zealand and one now against India — he has scored a total of 188 runs.

Smith copped a heavy blow in the second innings. (Photo by SAEED KHAN/AFP)

Smith did have two not out scores in this time, leaving his average at just 23.5 during that span.

He also had two ducks and just one half-century, his unbeaten 91 he made as an opener against the Windies when he nearly won the game off his own bat.

If we go back to his last 20 innings, Smith has 575 runs at an average of 33.8, with just four half-centuries to go with nine efforts under 20.

After India completed its dominant victory, Adam Gilchrist and David Warner discussed the state of Australia’s veteran batters.

“The top order, they have earned the right, Marnus and Steve Smith, they’ve cashed in for a lot of years for Australia with great value,” Gilchrist said on Fox Cricket.

“But how soon does the blowtorch come on them?”

Warner felt more communication could be the key.

“It has been a while, but I think the top four maybe need to get together,” he said.

“Have a conversation, work out what they can do differently, how do we approach it, do we be braver.

“We saw Steve Smith adapting, not going too far across, he’s working on a few things.

“But that top order has earned that right, but (the spotlight) will shine on them if they’re not scoring runs in the next couple of Test matches.”

Smith has now gone 22 innings without a ton, with his last three figures coming against England in the second Test of last year’s Ashes series at Lord’s.

Prior to that, he smashed five tons in a 22-inning stretch from July 2022 through that second match against the Old Enemy in June last year.

After a golden duck in the first innings against India at Optus Stadium, he reached 17 from 60 deliveries – with no boundaries – in the second dig before he was caught behind off a rising Mohammed Siraj delivery.

Some cricket fans are calling for immediate change in Australia’s top order, starting with the second Test at Adelaide Oval.

Marnus Labuschagne is also under pressure. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

One wrote on X: “Steve Smith and Manus Labuschagne should be removed from next Test team.”

Another offered: “I won’t be surprised if Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne get dropped after this series. Woefully, horrendously out of form and not even looking like getting runs.”

While we think that is highly unlikely, George Bailey and the Australian selectors surely must be getting concerned by the form of the former Test skipper.

The incredible reflexes and hand-eye coordination that once made Smith the most prized wicket in the game are on a steep decline.

Countless Aussie fans, accustomed to seeing Smith come out and punish attacks to all parts of a cricket ground, are still hoping he has that innings in him to turn it all around and it may well come in Adelaide.

Smith’s last ton came at Lord’s in last year’s Ashes. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

But the reality is this decline is unlikely to be wrested and many watching on are reluctantly accepting Smith’s best is long gone.

“Steve Smith has gone from world beater to embarrassing. Unless he gets at least 2 tons and 500 plus runs for the rest of this series he needs to retire and salvage what is left of his once breathtaking average. Worst career collapse I have ever seen from an Aussie batsman,” came one searing comment on X.

“Steve Smith bro what has happened to you? Smudge?” asked another.

A third wrote glumly: “Sadly … my childhood favourite cricketer Steve Smith is finished. I miss those 2014-15 days.”

Others were keen to point out the clear change in Smith’s ability.

Serious questions need to be asked by George Bailey (left) and the selectors. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

“Steve Smith isn’t scoring like he used to. Maybe with age, the hand eye co-ordination is a fraction slow now?” pondered one fan.

“His body movement and hand-eye coordination was so good. I don’t know what has happened to him now, doesn’t even give any flare of the OG Steve Smith,” stated another.

“Steve Smith had the greatest hand eye co-ordination in the history of the sport. His whack technique didn’t matter as he literally had the best eyes and reflexes. Now that he is past his physical prime his subpar technique is an issue,” added another.

The second Test, under lights and with the pink ball, gets underway on December 6.

While Australia had never lost a Test at Optus Stadium, the same applies to pink ball Tests in Adelaide.