WTC Final: Steve Smith dares England to come after Australia after dominant day two against India

Steve Smith has officially thrown down the gauntlet to England ahead of the Ashes, daring them to test their mettle against the mighty Australian bowlers.

Steve Smith has officially thrown down the gauntlet to England ahead of the Ashes, daring them to test their mettle against the mighty Australian bowlers.

Coming off the field with yet another ton under his belt, a confident Smith declared, “they haven‘t come up against us yet”, taunting England’s batsmen to come after them as Australia’s attack dominated the Indian top order on day two.

England, known for their fearless and attacking brand of cricket under new coach Brendon McCullum, have enjoyed a sensational run over the past year. They have set the cricketing world on fire, unleashing a relentless barrage of runs against New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan, securing a staggering 11 victories from 13 matches.

But one by one, critics have taken aim at England‘s ultra-aggressive style, expecting them to buckle under the pressure. Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Stokes and his band of daredevils have continued their rampage, refusing to let their foot off the throttle.

Enter Australia, swaggering onto the scene with an air of supreme confidence. Smith, the enigmatic Australian batsman, left no doubt about his side’s ability to dismantle England’s preferred style of play after his bowlers squeezed India at the Oval.

With the likes of Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Cameron Green, and spinner Nathan Lyon wreaking havoc, India found themselves struggling at 5/151 and 318 runs behind.

When asked if England’s attacking approach would succeed against their formidable bowling lineup, Smith responded with a sly grin.

Smith has become a force to be reckoned with in English conditions, boasting an astonishing record of seven centuries and accumulating a jaw-dropping 774 runs in the 2019 Ashes at an average of 110.57.

“I think I said it initially when ’Bazball’ started that I’m intrigued to see how it goes against our bowlers. I’ve said that all along,” he said.

Smith continued to stoke the flames, questioning whether the quality of The Oval pitch would suit the out-and-out assault.

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“I think it‘d be difficult on this kind of wicket – up and down and seaming around – it’s not easy to defend, let alone come out and swing,” he said.

“They’ve obviously done well against some other attacks, but they haven’t come up against us yet. So, we’ll see.”

Smith agreed that England have enjoyed a sensational run over the past year but warned they ‘haven’t come up against’ Australia’s bowlers yet.

Smith’s comments came after he notched his 31st Test century, spending over five-and-a-half hours at the crease to compile an imperious 121 runs. Partnering with the audacious Travis Head, who smashed a remarkable 163, the duo amassed a partnership of 285 runs.

The knock has done much to quench speculation over whether Smith could recreate the form seen during his last tour of England. His astonishing record only seems to get better, with his ton placing him equal with Joe Root for most centuries against India, ever.

His knock has also pushed his average at The Oval to an incredible 102.40.

🏏 9 innings
🔥 1,038 runs
😮 115.33 average
💯 Five centuries, three fifties

Steve Smith's recent Test record in England is absurd 🤯#AUSvIND#WTCFinalpic.twitter.com/mpWll2RUyL

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) June 8, 2023

Most Test centuries against India:

9 - Joe Root, STEVE SMITH
8 - Ricky Ponting, Viv Richards, Garry Sobers#WTC23

— Nic Savage (@nic_savage1) June 8, 2023

Smith has become a force to be reckoned with in English conditions, boasting an astonishing record of seven centuries and accumulating a jaw-dropping 774 runs in the 2019 Ashes at an average of 110.57.

His overall average England over the past nine Tests has amounted to 1,038 runs at 115.33, with scores of 143, 144, 142, 92, 211, 82, 80, 23 and 121.

“It was nice to spend a lot of time out there against some good bowlers on a challenging wicket after getting sent in,” he said.

“I‘ll take a lot of confidence out of that and hopefully can keep building and have a successful summer here.

“I think in terms of English wickets, it‘s probably as close to Australia as you get. I’ve enjoyed playing here, and it was nice to score a few out here again.”

The Aussie bowlers immediately stood up as India opened its innings, with the four quicks each taking a wicket in the first four dismissals.

Scott Boland starred in the opening overs, following Pat Cummins’ suit when he dismissed Rohit Sharma LBW for 15, by bowling Shubman Gill, who didn’t play a shot only to be bowled.

Bizarrely, Cameron Green’s wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara was a near carbon copy of Gill’s dismissal.

Mitchell Starc joined the party with a sharp bouncing ball catching the top of Virat Kohli’s bat with Steve Smith taking a high catch in the slips.

All eyes will be on India to see if they can salvage the match on Day Three, which begins at 7.30pm AEST tonight.