Smith the destroyer with a mix of bludgeon and surgical precision
THE good news is that if England continue nibbling away at Steve Smith’s numbers like this, eventually he will fall for a duck. Admittedly, it will be in the second innings of the fourth Test of the 2031 Ashes series, by which time he’ll be 42, but this sliver of sunshine will have to do for now.
Without it, the hosts will have to content themselves that he does show a degree of vulnerability in the 140s, and that hardly affords hope for the rest of the summer — or much of the decade beyond.
Smith eventually surrendered his wicket yesterday having scored 142. In the first innings he made 144. So take slices of two from that total going forward and seven Ashes series later, England’s bowlers finally have him where they want him.
It’s fair to say they didn’t yesterday; or on Thursday; or at any time since his return to the Test arena, really.
When he passed 140, shortly after tea, it meant he had outscored poor Moeen Ali in 16 months of Test cricket. As he had played four days of it in that time, this was some feat.
That England’s chances of winning this game had slipped to just two per cent when the fourth innings began is due to Smith.
He had some outstanding support yesterday, not least from Matthew Wade, who made his highest Test score and his first Test century since 2013, but Smith’s combined total of 286 represents a difference of all but 113 runs between the sides, and on both occasions Smith entirely changed the dynamic of the game.
In the first instance, he steered Australia away from the precipice of early collapse, eventually posting a total score that was respectable if not remarkable.
His second innings left Australia in complete command: from a losing position to a winning one. It is England that are now fighting to save the game.
When Smith arrived at the crease on Saturday, Australia were — in real terms — minus 63 for two wickets.
By the time he departed yesterday they were — again in relation to the match — 241-5. They had made up the 90-run deficit on England and added 241 of their own. When Australia eventually declared, the score was pushing 500 and England required 398 to win.
If anything, Australia’s captain Tim Paine let England off the hook in a way Smith never did. His declaration was very late, leaving just seven overs for the openers to survive — then he opened with Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon, rather than Australia’s pacemen.
What Smith made of such a reprieve we may never know. He often behaves like a captain on the field, so perhaps he was steering the decision-making process, too.
It seemed a funny one, though, having toiled so brilliantly to grind England down. Undoubtedly, psychologically, 12 overs at the end of the fourth day feel very different to seven — and so does a barrage from a bowler of James Pattinson’s ferocity.
Sure enough, when it was decided the deployment of Siddle had not worked and the ball was thrown to Australia’s prime quick he gave England more than a couple of late scares.
Yet it was Smith’s day, again, and his innings placed him among a precious elite, no matter the outcome of the game. Australia have produced some wonderful batsmen, but Smith is in a list of just five who have made centuries in both innings of an Ashes Test. It was a privilege to watch and those who departed early complaining on social media that Joe Root’s plans against him were too lame to indulge further, do not know what they missed.
It wasn’t that England’s bowlers surrendered but that Smith removed any optimism they may have felt with a combination of bludgeon and surgical precision. Joe Denly came on as an alternate to Moeen Ali and, at first, appeared to be getting a little joy.
Then he bowled a loose one, and Smith struck him for four. The next one was nervous and was similarly dispatched.
Then Denly got back on track and Smith resumed his path of mighty resistance. He didn’t need to chase Ali because a poor ball is going to come along sooner or later. And when it did he carted it, and then returned to patiently awaiting the next. It was painful to watch England’s exertion for such little return.
Australia scored at an impressive rate without ever looking as if that is what they were doing. They hovered around four an over while rarely giving the bowlers a glimpse. It was a masterclass.
Marvellous to see, too, just about every cricket coaching manual being consigned to the recycling bin. If a teenager came along with Smith’s technique there would be an attempt to reconstruct his methods entirely in the nets.
Smith is proof that, if your head is still and correct, your eyes focused and your bat straight at the vital moment, you can basically do the can-can for the rest of it and it doesn’t matter.
His exaggerated leaves are like a physical spasm and when he is batting well he almost plays up to that now, particularly when he knows it is annoying the hell out of the opposition.
That was plainly the case yesterday. In the 64th over of the innings, England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, standing back, took a speculative shy at the stumps after one leave, and was so off target the ball hit Smith, who had taken several steps away.
He looked askance but, inside, would have been loving it. Just as he would when Root ordered a frankly desperate review of an lbw call off the bowling of Ali, or missed a decent run-out chance by standing the wrong side of the stumps.
Smith had scrambled the brain of England’s captain — at the ground where it was supposed to be Australia that would crumble.
Today they have the chance to defeat England at fortress Edgbaston — and move to Lord’s, where Australia’s record is highly impressive.
In his last ten Ashes innings, Smith averages 140. Still just wait until 2031, though — he won’t know what’s hit him.