"Can’t wait to see what the next decade has in store for me" - Steve Smith on being named Test Cricketer of last 10 years
The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently named Australian superstar Steve Smith as the Men's Test Cricketer of the Decade. Reacting to the achievement, Smith said he is humbled by the honor and is looking forward to the next decade.
The award came on the back of some stellar performances by Steve Smith. The right-handed batsman scored 7040 runs over the last 10 years at an incredible average of 65.79.
He hit a staggering 26 tons and 28 fifties en route to becoming the number one-ranked Test batsman. Three Ashes double hundreds embellish this record as well.
Smith took to Twitter to thank his well-wishers and reflected on his journey over the last 10 years.
"Humbled to be named Test player of the decade. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career so far. I’ve had a lot of fun, faced many challenges, learnt so much and now I can’t wait to see what the next decade has in store for me," said Smith.
Steve Smith's struggles in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Steve Smith has grown to be a stalwart in the Australian lineup. However, the 31-year-old is yet to show his true potential in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Smith has recorded scores of 1, 1 not out, 0 and 8 in the four innings against India so far.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah have not allowed him to settle in his groove with some well-laid-out plans.
The effect of Smith's poor-form has been palpably contagious, as the whole Australian batting order is also looking off-color. The side is yet to cross the 200-run mark in this series, which India have managed to do twice.
The Boxing Day Test in Melbourne also broke a grim record, as none of the Australian batsmen made even one half-century. It was the first such instance for the Aussies in a home Test since 1988-89.
Will Steve Smith and Australia bounce back in Sydney? Or will a high-flying Indian side tighten the leash even further? Only time will tell.
The third Test is set to commence from January 7, 2021.