Poms might need to phone a friend on Smith
THE England bowling attack may want to find a phone number for India fast bowler Udesh Yadav, and quickly.
Yadav was the last man to get Australia captain Steve Smith out at the MCG. That was three years ago. As imperious as Smith has been through the Ashes so far, his Melbourne record is reaching ridiculous proportions.
Smith has scored 434 runs without being dismissed since Yadav had him caught down the leg-side for 14 on day four of the Test in 2014.
That was on December 29. In the 1093 days since, Smith has been invincible.
He’s scored tons in his past three MCG Tests, big hundreds too, no doubt with eyes on a third today as Australia press for a big first innings total from 3-244.
His average at the ground is 140 and while plenty want to compare him to Sir Donald Bradman, in this sphere he has The Don beaten.
Bradman averaged 128.5 at the MCG in his 11 innings.
Smith made his 65 runs yesterday batting with a tweaked technique too, after copping a ball to the top of his hand during a net session on Sunday.
“I’ll be able to deal with it and just get on with it,’’ Smith said pre-match.
‘‘Maybe I just have to use a bit more of my top hand through this game, be a bit wristy.”
That Smith could just decide to change his way, midway through a series, staggered former Australian Test batsman Michael Hussey.
“To hear him say he may have to change his technique a little bit and use more of his top hand, he must be in some serious form,” Hussey told Fox Sports yesterday.
‘‘He’s obviously seeing the ball pretty well.”