Damien Fleming's commentator's curse strikes as Steve Smith is dismissed
Australia registered the highest total of the ongoing ODI series as they finished with 348/8 in the fourth ODI against India in Canberra. But it could have been much more had it not been for captain Steven Smith’s dismissal for 51, courtesy of Damien Fleming’s commentators’ curse.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, another century opening partnership, this time between Aaron Finch and David Warner, ensured the hosts put India on the back foot right from the start.
When Warner was dismissed in the 30th over, Australia had already added 187 and looked well on course for a score in excess of 350, with nine wickets in hand and nine wickets still in had.
Mitchell Marsh, who was promoted to No.3 didn’t fire, which drained some momentum but was more than compensated for by an aggressive innings by the Australian captain, who started smoking the ball from the time he got to the crease.
Smith got to his fifty off just 27 balls and with more than four overs to go was thinking of getting close to a hundred and propel his side past 350, but that is when disaster struck in the form of former Australian fast bowler Damien Fleming who provided the commentator’s curse at precisely the wrong time for the hosts.
Just as Glenn Maxwell and Smith were starting to get into the groove, former Australian fast bowler Tweeted this:
@Gmaxi_32 and @stevesmith49 batting together #ShouldBeReasonablyEntertaining #EveryShotInTheBookAndMore #AUSvIND
— Damien Fleming (@bowlologist) January 20, 2016
But then the commentator's curse struck and Smith was dismissed almost instantly, after which he once again took to Twitter:
Sorry everybody #JinxedSmithy #AUSvIND
— Damien Fleming (@bowlologist) January 20, 2016
If he thought nobody noticed, he was mistaken as there were plenty who spotted it:
@bowlologist well they were
— Bradley (@BradSabbath) January 20, 2016
@bowlologist @Gmaxi_32 @stevesmith49 spoke too soon big dog
— Mathew Wormald (@Matworm11) January 20, 2016
@bowlologist oooohhh did you just jinx smithy Flem?
— Kate Wall (@TheKateWall) January 20, 2016
@bowlologist why couldn't you have done that to Mitch marsh early on...
— Tom132174 (@Tom132174) January 20, 2016