Watch: ‘Hey, what was that?’ – Steve Smith fuming over send-off jibe from Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow can’t help but be in the thick of action and talk during the ongoing Ashes 2023. After hogging the limelight with his team controversially inclining towards the ‘spirit of cricket’ to put forth a defence against his stumping in the Lord’s Test, Bairstow was seen throwing a send-off jibe at Steve Smith on Day 2 in Headingley. 

As Smith played a rare bad stroke to be dismissed against the largely unthreatening off-spin of Moeen Ali and gave England a toe into the door of return in the Test match, the right-hander was left fuming with himself more than anyone. 

It was in that moment Bairstow decided to rub salt into his wounds by giving him a send-off, which triggered an angry reaction out of the modern-day legend before he ultimately took the long walk back. 

The episode was captured and shared on Twitter by UK broadcasters Sky Sports with Bairstow clearly intending to get under Smith’s skin and managing to succeed this time as he had the Australian great simmering and having the one last word in response. 

Bairstow-Smith engage in verbal dual in Leeds 

The incident took place just after the fourth ball of the 28th over in the Australian second-innings. Earning a lead of 26 runs, the tourists required their batting great to farm the strike and play out the critical period following the loss of Marnus Labuschagne only two overs earlier. 

As it happened, though, Smith, for once, failed to make his presence count in the middle and was caught at short mid-wicket while trying to force a Moeen off-break past the in-field. The dismissal was bound to leave him in a state of great anger. 

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But to add fuel to the fire, Bairstow decided to throw in a little jibe at the batter just as he started walking off. 

“See ya, Smudge!”, Bairstow said. 

“Hey!!, what was that mate?,” Smith responded with great anger in his voice and eyes. 

“See ya, Smudge!” 👋

“What was that, mate?!? HEY!” 😠

Jonny Bairstow getting in Steve Smith’s head 👀 pic.twitter.com/PyTKFuaC4s

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 7, 2023

Things could’ve easily taken the uglier turn but Smith held his anger under the stride at the right moment and kept walking, realising he wouldn’t have given Bairstow the fodder to talk if he hadn’t erred badly with his stroke.