Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has weighed in on the struggles of star batter Steve Smith, who continued his poor run of form in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. On Day 2 of the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide, Smith was dismissed cheaply for the third time in the series, falling to India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah yet again. This time, Smith was strangled down the leg side, a dismissal Hayden labeled as one of the worst ways to get out.
Smith’s dismissal by Bumrah marks the third consecutive time the Indian pacer has got the better of him in the series. The Australian batting maestro has managed only 10 runs in four innings so far, averaging a mere 3.33 against Bumrah. His overall numbers this year have also been underwhelming: 232 runs in 13 innings at an average of 23.20, with just one half-century.
Hayden, speaking on Star Sports, dissected the dismissal, highlighting Smith’s vulnerability. “I mean, as you know, there’s probably only one way to get out that’s worse and that’s run out off the bowler’s hand and getting strangled down the leg side. But the fact is that Steve Smith is gonna have his stumps attacked time and time again until he proves otherwise that he’s back in the touch that we’ve seen for the whole of his career. He was always so dynamic off his legs,” said Hayden on Star Sports.
The former opener delved deeper into the psychological aspect of Smith’s recent performances, pointing out the apparent uncertainty in his approach. “For years, we thought his biggest vulnerability was the front pad-getting trapped lbw. But now, being dismissed down the leg side shows there’s some doubt creeping into his game. When there’s doubt, it opens up opportunities for the opposition,” Hayden added.
Smith’s dismissal left Australia in a precarious position before Travis Head’s fluent century helped stabilize the innings.
Jasprit Bumrah has been the standout performer for India, taking four crucial wickets, including Smith’s, to unsettle Australia’s top order. Mohammad Siraj chipped in with the vital scalp of Travis Head, who followed up his first-innings failure with a magnificent counterattacking century. Australia extended their lead beyond 140 by stumps on Day 2, with their middle and lower order contributing valuable runs.
We weren’t suspecting that he was gonna get strangled down the leg side of that sort of dismissal, of that sort of mode of delivery. But he just has such a good eye that right now there’s some doubt that’s creeping in and when there’s doubt there’s always opportunity for a side,” he added.
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