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‘That didn’t happen’: Steve Smith stuns cricket with ‘Saturday arvo slog’

Steve Smith is mortal after all. The Aussie batting freak stunned commentators with a “Saturday afternoon slog” in the WTC final.

Jai Bednall and Andrew McMurtry
9 min read
June 10, 2023 - 6:16AM
Steve Smith is mortal after all. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Steve Smith is mortal after all. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

India will need a record run chase to win the World Test Championship final but Australia left the door slightly ajar with an unconvincing battling display on day three.

The Aussies finished the day at 4/123 - in a safe position 296 runs ahead but with some work to do to bat India completely out of the game.

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“We have quite a formidable score already but you just never know,” Marnus Labuschagne told BBC Radio.

Steve Smith was, unusually, the biggest culprit as several batsmen failed to fire, looking like a complete impostor as he fell to a rash shot against Ravi Jadeja.

Steve Smith is caught by Sharldul Thakur off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Steve Smith is caught by Sharldul Thakur off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Commentators were stunned as Smith charged down the pitch and attempted to flay the spinner over mid-wicket, only to sky the shot to cover.

“That didn’t happen. The great Steve Smith has played a Saturday afternoon slog,” Harsha Bhogle said. “It will take some time for that to sink in. Good to know even the greats have moments like that.”

Outside of Labuschagne - who knuckled down to finish the day at 41 off 118 balls after bizarre scenes where he fell asleep while waiting to bat - none of the top order took their opportunities.

David Warner and Usman Khawaja won’t be entering the Ashes brimming with confidence after recording opening partnerships of two and two in this match.

And Travis Head (18) went too hard too often as he also fell trying to belt Jadeja to the boundary.

The bowlers also took a little longer than expected to finish off the Indian tail as Pat Cummins threw away two wickets with front foot no balls and three catches were grassed.

“We made a bit of a meal of it in the morning,” said Labuschagne, adding: “Pat just addressed it, said we weren’t good enough and we’ve all played enough cricket to know that was fair.”

Ajinkya Rahane (89), Jadeja (48) and Sharldul Thakur (51) thwarted the Aussies before the Indians were finally removed for 296.

Mitchell Starc knocked over Mohammed Shami to complete the innings and became the fourth Australian bowler with 600 international wickets across all three formats, joining legends Shane Warne (999), Glenn McGrath (948) and Brett Lee (718).

Australia will sleep easily tonight knowing the highest successful run chase at The Oval is just 263 runs - and that happened 121 years ago.

But they’ll want to finish emphatically to begin a tantalising series against England with real momentum.

2.35am - Smith, Head open the door for India

Just when you thought India was losing all hope, Steve Smith invited them back into the game.

Forced to turn to spin after their quicks were seen off, India found a way through in Ravi Jadeja.

Smith had looked imperious as he raced to 34 from 47 deliveries before charging Jadeja and skying his shot to cover.

It left Australia 3/86 and still in a dominant position with a 259-run lead, but with some work to do to bat India out of the game.

Travis Head came out and looked to kill off the game, but was out for an entertaining but brief knock of 18.

Head clubbed two sixes in his short stay - including one that should have been caught by Umesh Yadav but was dropped over the rope - before trying to bash Jadeja down the ground and being caught by the bowler.

12.49am - Khawaja fails again

Usman Khawaja’s shaky record in England is getting shakier after his second failure in this match.

The Aussie opener threw his hands at a wide one from Umesh Yadav but only managed to nick it to the keeper to follow his first innings duck with a score of 13 and leave Australia 2/24.

It certainly hasn’t been easy batting in the second innings as India’s quicks do everything to drag their team back into the match.

But Khawaja was again criticised for a lack of foot work - and intent during his innings.

“Usman Khawaja eyes just lit up, that’s what happens when you’re in a defensive mode wanting to transition to something a little more offensive,” Matthew Hayden said in commentary. “Just got caught in two minds (after being) a little lazy, drifting, hoping that you can survive.”

Steve Smith’s arrival at the crease immediately changed the momentum of the innings as he scored freely and quickly built a partnership with Labuschagne.

11.35pm – Sleeping Marnus is a meme

Australia and India are in the heat of battle in the World Test Championship Final but Marnus Labuschagne has shown he’s the ultimate ice man.

As Australia looked to build an unassailable lead in their second innings, the Aussie first drop was not feeling the tension and was caught on camera taking a nap before his turn to bat.

Asked if he’d ever be that relaxed, Justin Langer said in commentary: “No chance in the world. I would be ready, listening to music and dancing around. That is a classic. He looks like one of the English supporters who has had a couple of pints and got a bit sun burnt. He is having a nice rest there.”

Marnus Labuschagne was laying back with his eyes closed when David Warner was removed. Picture: Channel 7
Marnus Labuschagne was laying back with his eyes closed when David Warner was removed. Picture: Channel 7

But it was never going to last long for the quirky batter and David Warner nicked off Mohammed Siraj, with the Indian supporters going up as one — acting as an alarm clock for Labuschagne.

As he maded his way to the middle, the commentators were still giggling about the hilarious scenes.

Harsha Bhogle said: “Marnus Labuschagne at number 3, that is one of the more extraordinary arrivals to the crease that you will see. Are you awake, Marnus? Have you brushed your teeth? Have you had a coffee? 

“What a batter, though, averaging 57. There he goes. Marnus, Marnus. And now he’s probably heard the sound of the crowd.”

Justin Langer added: “The appeal of the crowd, alarm, oh, I’m up and going. I will brush my teeth, a quick espresso coffee to get me going and now he’s got to face his first ball.”

11.05pm – Australia wraps up the tail

India have finished up on 296 in the first innings, 173 runs behind the Aussies.

It gives Australia a big lead to build on but a strong rearguard action from Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur gave India a respectable score.

Rahane’s 89 ended in ridiculous fashion when Cameron Green nabbed one of the great catches in the gully, while Thakur scored 51 before edging Green through to Alex Carey.

Pat Cummins led the Aussies with 3/83, while Mitchell Starc (2/71), Scott Boland (2/59) and Cameron Green (2/44) all contributed with the ball.

10.22pm – Outrageous ‘catch for the ages’ stuns cricket

Cameron Green has snagged one of the great gully catches to make up for dropping a sitter earlier in the day.

Green grassed an edge off Shardul Thakur when he was back on 8 but ended his 109-run stand with Ajinkya Rahane.

Rahane was on 89 when he edged Cummins through the gully with Green somehow snatching the ball out of the air as it flew past like a bullet.

Cricbuzz’s Bharat Sundaresan said Green celebrated with his teammates before “he immediately walked to Pat Cummins and began sheepishly explaining why he dropped the sitter a while back”.

CODE Sports’ Lachlan McKirdy called it “outrageously good” and “One of the all-time great gully catches”.

9.35pm – Unforgivable act is an Aussie disaster

Pat Cummins has had a second wicket taken off him for a no ball as India are now just shy of making Australia bat again.

The first session of the day saw a wicket fall with the second ball before India piled on 109 runs as Australia dropped three catches.

In the final over before lunch Cummins looked to have finally dismissed Rahane — only for the replay to show that the Aussie captain had overstepped. Making it the second wicket in the innings he had taken that was overturned due to a no ball.

No Pat no. Photo: Channel 7
No Pat no. Photo: Channel 7

It’s an unforgivable act for any bowler and rubbing salt into the wound, it would have been out thanks to the umpire’s call.

On ABC, Jim Maxwell said: “You can’t keep doing that, that’s poor cricket!”

The frustration was clear from Cummins who threw the ball away in frustration after the over as the side headed off to lunch.

At 6/260, India are now nine runs from avoiding the chance of a follow on.

9.13pm – ‘Worst thing a keeper can do’

Australia have dropped two catches as India’s seventh wicket partnership is getting out of hand.

And they’ve just missed a golden chance to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane.

Pat Cummins finally found the edge of Rahane’s bat but the ball was spilled by David Warner at first slip.

However, Matthew Hayden didn’t believe it was Warner’s fault.

“Look at the subtle movement of (wicketkeeper Alex) Carey,” he said in commentary.

“Just faked the catch and it put Davey Warner on his right hand heel. Once you get heely when it comes to a catch, you’ve got no chance.:

Dinesh Karthik said that generally when the ball goes to the left of the first slip, it’s a wicketkeeper catch.

It compounds the issues from the Aussies after Shardul Thakur was gifted two lives in dropped catches by Usman Khawaja on 0 and Cameron Green when he was on 8.

8.48pm – India steady the ship

It’s been a relatively uneventful middle of the first session after the early wicket as Ajinkya Rahane steadied the ship for India.

He’s moved to 65 as India moved to 6/220 at the end of the 52nd over.

Shardul Thakur has been solid at the other end, moving to 22.

At the moment Australia shouldn’t be too worried, they still lead by 249 and it’s exceptionally rare that Australia actually enforces the follow on.

But a wicket would go down well to stop India from closing the gap and giving themselves an achievable chase in the fourth innings.

7.35pm – ‘Scott Boland you superstar’

It’s taken just two balls for Scott Boland to put all the pressure on India, bowling KS Bharat in a perfect start to the day for Australia.

Ricky Ponting said it was simply “too good”.

“He’s done it again, this is what he does time after time,” Ricky Ponting said in commentary. “He just starts right on the money.”

“Scott Boland you superstar,” he added in commentary.

7pm (AEST) – Cummins’ cardinal sin costs Aussies dearly

Pat Cummins had an overstepping issue on the second day with the skipper’s no balls piling up and costing his team a major wicket.

The Australian captain handed India four extras through no balls in his nine overs, but it was one in particular that really hurt the Aussies.

A perfect delivery from the star bowler slammed into the pads of India’s number five batsmen Ajinkya Rahane with the scoreboard sitting at 4/87.

The finger quickly went up from the umpire and the Aussies began celebrating as India’s fifth quickly fell.

But it was short lived as replays showed Cummins had once again overstepped his mark and Rahane remained at the crease where he put on 12 more runs before the day finished.

Despite the damning error from the skipper the Aussies are in control of the contest with cult hero Scott Boland stealing the show on the second day of play.

“My first experience with a red ball here and felt it came out okay,” Boland told Test Match Special at stumps.

“Hopefully we can get into it tomorrow and knock them over.

“Nothing changes in my game-plan. I am trying to land the ball in a small box and not go away too far from that.”

Steve Smith lauded Boland’s first showing in England and acknowledged he was putting pressure on Starc and Josh Hazlewood for a regular spot in the Australian side.

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“I think the angles he provides, his ability to hit the stumps from slightly shorter than some of our other bowlers, is a big plus,” Smith told reporters at stumps.

“If there’s any seam movement, it gives the ball more chance to move and still hit the stumps.

“The skills he possesses are magnificent. He’s turned up every time he’s had an opportunity. So whether he’s leaving any of the big three out, I don’t know the answer to that, but he’s certainly a quality prospect, as we’ve seen for a couple of years now.”

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/world-test-championship-live-australia-vs-india-day-three/news-story/738a51bb396d023dcb00e39b6d422057