Explosive Australia batsman Steve Smith has been making a mockery of the England bowling attack in the ongoing Ashes 2019 series. Having amassed 589 runs from only four innings, Smith has been lethal.
On his return from the ball-tampering ban, the star batter slammed back-to-back centuries that helped Australia hammer England by 251 runs in the 1st Test at Edgbaston.
Smith suffered a nasty blow on his neck from a Jofra Archer bouncer in the 2nd Test at Lord’s, and couldn’t bat in the 2nd innings due to a delayed concussion. He also had to sit out for the Headingley Test, which England won by one wicket and levelled the series.
However, the right-hander returned to action in the 4th Test, hitting his 3rd Ashes double ton on Thursday in at Old Trafford. His 211 included 24 fours and two sixes.
Steve Smith has been a consistent performer in Tests in the recent past. The 30-year-old has scored 2940 runs in 33 matches since 2013 at an astonishing average of over 103.
As bowlers worldwide are thinking how to stop the Smith hurricane, former England fast bowler Darren Gough feels Jasprit Bumrah can “100%” dismiss Smith.
Bumrah has tasted tremendous success in red-ball cricket ever since he made his Test debut in 2018. In just 12 Tests, the 25-year-old has scalped 62 wickets.
In the two-Test series against the Windies, his bowling bulldozed the opposition completely as he finished with a total of 13 wickets. The young pacer recorded his maiden Test hat-trick and completed his fifth five-wicket haul in the format in the second Test at Jamaica.
Bumrah’s uniqueness lies in his ability to trouble batsmen with both the inswinger and the outswinger.
Recently, Team India captain Virat Kohli called Jasprit Bumrah the “most complete bowler” in world cricket at the moment.
