"He has become a shadow of his former self" - Twitter reacts as Smith chips in with yet another forgettable knock in 3rd AUS vs PAK TestÂ
Australian batter Steve Smith's 2024 did not exactly kickstart quite as planned, as he was dismissed for a lackluster 38 runs off 86 deliveries on Day 3 of the ongoing third Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Smith, who usually piles on runs in the home season, has only managed 190 runs across five innings.
Smith resumed his innings on Day 3 after poor light and rain had brought an early end to proceedings on the second day. He was dismissed by Mir Hamza with the old ball.
Pakistan skipper Shan Masood had placed three fielders in the cover region, in rather close proximity. Smith tried to take on the challenge by attempting a lofted shot to clear the trio of men stationed on the off-side. However, he did not get the elevation, and Babar Azam took a well-timed catch at short extra cover.
The ball being held up a touch by the surface did not help Smith's cause, as it resulted in the ball hitting high on his bat, leading to the lack of elevation.
Twitter sprung up with reactions following another one of Smith's poor outings.
Here are some of the reactions below:
Steve Smith averaged 42.23 in Test Cricket in 2023
Steve Smith's 2023 was highlighted with a match-winning hundred in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India at The Oval. However, before that, he had endured a poor Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the subcontinent and also a mediocre Ashes series as well.
Smith scored 929 runs in 24 innings at an average of 42.23 and a strike rate of 46.90. He has been critical of his form of late and will hope to make a resounding comeback in the upcoming home series against the West Indies.
Smith's untimely dismissal put Australia in a spot of bother, as Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed by Salman Ali Agha in the very next over. With Travis Head's quick dismissal as well, the hosts suffered a minor collapse from 187-2 to 205-5 in the first innings.
Will Steve Smith return to his best in 2024? Let us know what you think.