Australia’s temporary captain, Steve Smith, has spoken out following a tense confrontation with England’s fast bowler, Jofra Archer, during the final session at the Gabba. Despite England’s efforts to limit Australia to under 64 runs, Smith led his team to victory, scoring the winning runs for the second consecutive Test.
Smith entered the crease with Australia at 41-2 and swiftly propelled them to success, smashing 23 runs off just nine balls. His aggressive batting included two massive sixes and two fours, dominating Archer who conceded 15 runs in five deliveries.
The clash between Smith and Archer occurred during a fiery over at the Gabba, fueled by Archer’s frustration after being hit for a boundary by Smith. Undeterred, Smith continued to silence his critics by dispatching Archer for a six towards deep fine leg and over the boundary.
In the subsequent over, Smith sealed the game with another six, securing Australia a commanding 2-0 lead as they head into the next Test in Adelaide.
When questioned about the on-field exchange with Archer, Smith responded, “That stays on the field. It was good banter. He’s a good competitor and comes hard at you so it was good fun.”
Archer’s struggles with the pink ball throughout the second Test highlighted England’s bowling woes, which were a far cry from their strong performance on day one in Perth.
After setting Australia a target of 334 runs, England faltered, ending day three 43 runs behind at 134-6. Despite a late fight from Ben Stokes and Will Jacks, England was eventually bowled out for 241.
Australia’s Travis Head and Jake Weatherald made quick work of the chase before Smith took charge, expressing his decision to play aggressively to finish the game swiftly.
Smith praised his team’s performance, particularly highlighting the tail-end batsmen who batted commendably in the first innings. As the series progresses, England faces the pressure of needing a win in Adelaide to stay alive in the Ashes competition.
The third Test is scheduled to commence on December 17, with all the Ashes action broadcast live on TNT Sports via discovery+ or Prime Video’s TNT Sports channel.