Smith suffers the night sweats

HAVING risked an epic follow-on fail against England, Steve Smith suffered a hard day’s night losing critical video reviews as the skipper’s judgment was taunted by the Barmy Army and grilled by greats in Adelaide.

Australia was left with no safety net after Smith nuked two reviews inside three balls involving fourth-wicket pair Joe Root and Dawid Malan as England boldly chased an unlikely 354 for victory at Adelaide Oval.

Test legend Shane Warne had on Monday night ques- tioned Smith’s decision not to enforce the follow on and open the door to salvation for England. However it was Smith’s use of the Decision Review System, now a strategic weapon in Test cricket, that attracted fresh focus.

Smith went to the electronic eye off the last ball of the 42nd over when a Pat Cummins corker nearly cut Root in half. The ball appeared to beat the England skipper all ends up and flick his pad before it was brilliantly collected by keeper Tim Paine. Replays upheld New Zealand umpire Chris Gaffaney’s not out decision.

Smith went to the well again when a Josh Hazlewood in-cutter cannoned into No.5 batsman Malan’s pads. Umpire Aleem Dar indicated the ball had struck Malan too high and replays underpinned the decision for third umpire Marais Erasmus.

The DRS, noted former England skipper Geoff Boycott, was “for captains to go for bad calls, not get carried away with what you are hope for. He was desperate”.

Australia erred in not reviewing an unsuccessful appeal from Hazlewood off the first ball of the fourth over to veteran opener Alastair Cook.

The ball was on course to hit leg stump but Smith did not review Gaffaney’s not-out verdict. Hawk-eye showed Cook would have been out, but the mistake only cost 15 runs from the out of touch former England skipper.

“Smith didn’t review it when the replay showed the ball smashing the stumps. Little omens are going England’s way,” said Warne.

Adding insult to injury, Smith dropped Malan on eight off Nathan Lyon.

The pressure was on Smith with defensive South African Dudley Nourse the only skipper to lose a Test after not en- forcing a follow on at Durban in 1950 against Australia. England now enters the final day in Adelaide with hope of a remarkable, series levelling triumph.

“He has had a lot of decisions to make in the past couple of days,” said former Test great Adam Gilchrist.