When Steve Smith gets his eyes in it’s tough to dismiss him. The Australian batter has made a number of massive scores in his Test career. Moreover, if the pitch is a good one for batting, Smith doesn’t miss out on the chance of making hay. Once he is set, it needs a tactical brilliance […]
When Steve Smith gets his eyes in it’s tough to dismiss him. The Australian batter has made a number of massive scores in his Test career. Moreover, if the pitch is a good one for batting, Smith doesn’t miss out on the chance of making hay. Once he is set, it needs a tactical brilliance to get rid of the big fish. Mohammad Rizwan showed a bit of it on Monday, March 7.
Smith came to bat after Nauman Ali got rid of Usman Khawaja. The right-hander put his head down to amass a big score under his belt. Smith went on to score 78 runs off 196 balls with the help of eight fours. But he got out due to Rizwan’s tactical brilliance. Smith was playing the hard sweeps as left-arm spinner Nauman Ali was bowling on a leg-stump line.
Pakistan had taken away Smith’s off-side play. Rizwan, in the meantime, took a leg-stump stance behind the wickets. In the penultimate ball of the 125th over, Nauman bowled a flighted delivery on the leg-stump and Smith went for a full-blooded sweep.
But the batter failed to get timing on the ball and rather go some glove. Rizwan positioned himself in such a way that he took the catch with relative ease. The 32-year-old Smith knew that he was out and hence, started walking.
BIG MOMENT. BIG WICKET. #BoysReadyHain l #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/96wVKGm4At
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 7, 2022
At the close of play in the opening Test in Rawalpindi, Australia are still trailing Pakistan by 27 runs. Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne scored in the 90s, but failed to score hundreds. David Warner also played well for his 68 before Sajid Khan castled his woodwork.
M Rizwan Setup a Leg Side Trap for Steve Smith and it Worked!!! pic.twitter.com/biqr1u92mj
— Ash (@TheCricketArk) March 7, 2022
Nauman Ali was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers as he picked up four wickets in 37 overs. Apart from Smith, the tweaker also got rid of Khawaja, Travis Head and Cameron Green. Sajid Khan, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up one wicket apiece.
With one day left, the Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is heading towards a draw. Earlier, Imam-ul-Haq and Azhar scored centuries and helped Pakistan score 476 for four declared in their first innings.