SMITH THROWS AWAY SHOT AT HISTORY BOOKS
BANGLADESH are threatening to spoil Steve Smith’s golden shot at an international “grand slam” after the Australian captain last night threw away a hundred in Chittagong.
Coming into this series, Smith boasted a perfect record of having smashed a ton against every Test side he has ever batted against, including some of the best attacks in the game’s toughest conditions. But yesterday’s inexplicable lapse in concentration to perish for 58 has left Smith praying he gets another opportunity in the second innings against the lowly-ranked Bangladesh, who Australia haven’t played in a decade and may not again for years to come.
Australia are due to play two Tests next year against the only other remaining side Smith hasn’t faced, Zimbabwe, but the door is quickly closing on the modern-day batting powerhouse’s chances of creating rare cricketing history.
Only 13 batsmen in history have completed cricket’s “grand slam”, and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson is the only current player to have brought up triple figures against all comers.
Smith is vying to join Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh as the only other Australian to achieve personal world domination. He has rarely been better set for a ton than he was yesterday before he made an uncharacteristic blunder to be bowled through the gate to leave the tourists trailing by 194 runs at tea at 2-111.
Smith looked as though he couldn’t miss on day two as Australia chased after Bangladesh’s first innings’ 305.