Australian pacers had a memorable outing on Day 2 of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) Final against India at the Oval in London. The Aussie quicks put on a commanding performance and put the Rohit Sharma-led side on the backfoot, leaving them five wickets down for just 151. India is still 318 runs behind Australia’s mammoth total, and the Baggy Green holders are in the driving seat to clinch the prestigious Test mace.
Following this summit clash, Australia will face their oldest rival England in the highly anticipated Ashes 2023. Keeping another mega event in mind, Steve Smith, who dominated the proceedings with the bat against India, smashing his 31st Test century, said he is looking forward to how England continue with their ‘Bazball’ style against them.
Smith acknowledged that England had performed well against other bowling attacks but emphasized that the Three Lions have yet to face their team. The former Aussie skipper, however, praised the English side for their different approach in the longest format, which turned things around in the recent past.
“I think I said it initially when ‘Bazball’ started that I’m intrigued to see how it goes against our bowlers. I’ve said that all along. I think it’d be difficult on this kind of wicket – up and down and seaming around — it’s not easy to defend, let alone come out and swing. They’ve obviously done well against some other attacks, but they haven’t come up against us yet. So, we’ll see,” said Smith, as quoted by ICC.
“I must say I’ve enjoyed watching the way they (England) have played and the way that I guess they’ve turned things around in the last 12 months or so, but it’s yeah we’ll wait and see how it comes off against us,” added Smith.
Notably, In the Ashes 2019, Smith played a significant role for the Australians, delivering outstanding performances throughout the series. He scored a total of 774 runs in just seven innings, at a mindboggling average of 110.57. The New South Wales batter smashed three centuries and as many half-tons, including a remarkable double hundred in the fourth Test match at Old Trafford.
