Australia’s stand-in skipper Steve Smith has found himself at the centre of a major controversy after widespread criticism of the team’s alleged time-wasting tactics on Day 1 of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane. Only 74 overs were bowled out of the mandated 90, even with the additional half-hour extension, marking the fewest overs bowled in a full day’s play on Australian soil. Frequent delays during Australian bowling spells raised eyebrows, with experts suggesting the hosts were deliberately slowing the game down.

The theory behind the tactic was simple: avoid taking the final England wicket before stumps and thus avoid batting with a new pink ball under the floodlights, a notoriously tricky scenario for batting teams in day-night Tests. England’s last pair survived much of the final session, while Australia appeared in no hurry to wrap up the innings.

Former cricketer Simon Katich was furious with the approach, telling Fox Cricket: “To think we are going to get through an extra half-hour… and end up with 74 overs? It’s beyond a joke—an absolute joke.”

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Former England pacer Steven Finn, speaking on TNT Sports, echoed those thoughts. He noted Smith’s unusually slow field adjustments and extended breaks between deliveries: “Certainly feels like a deliberate tactic. Every minute wasted means fewer minutes Australia will have to face the bright pink new ball. The umpires really should step in.”

Former Australia captain Mark Waugh was even more blunt, calling the slow play “unacceptable,” adding that Smith clearly did not want to bat late under lights: “Anyone with half a brain could see what was happening. The umpires needed to step in.”

Interestingly, until 2023, such a tactic would have invited severe over-rate penalties, including fines and deductions in crucial World Test Championship points. However, a rule change—strongly advocated by Australia’s opener Usman Khawaja—now exempts innings under 80 overs from over-rate punishments. This loophole effectively shielded Australia from any sanction, even though fans and experts questioned the spirit of the game.

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As a result of these delays, Australia returned on Friday morning with six overs available to remove England’s last wicket. It’s a stark reminder of how over-rate decisions have impacted them before: Australia infamously missed the 2021 WTC final after being docked points due to slow over-rates in the 2020 Boxing Day Test.