Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has applauded Steve Smith for playing a stunning knock on Day 1 of the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final. He also added that Smith moved all around the crease before the ball was bowled, but was still once it was being delivered. However, he scored 66 runs off 112 balls as South Africa bowled Australia out for 212 in their first innings on Day 1.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “One thing that is standing out in his batting is that he moves so much before the ball is bowled that you feel whether he has ants in his pants. However, he becomes absolutely still when the ball is getting released. The head and body are still, and then there is no movement after that. Believe it or not, the guy wasn’t moving at all while playing cover drives or cut shots. He plays only with his hands after that. He transfers his body weight and extends the arms from there itself. He is absolutely incredible.”

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“If you see his wagon wheel, you will find that he has scored a lot of runs on the off side. He used to be an on-side dominated player because the bottom hand used to work a lot. However, he scores a lot of runs on the off side now. That is what Test cricket does to you. You keep improving. You keep getting better. He got out against the run of play,” he explained.

However, Aakash Chopra also added that Beau Webster used the chance for an early reprieve by scoring a fifty as well.

“I felt Beau Webster was slightly fortunate because the umpire should have given him out lbw. Even if the umpire didn’t give him out, they could have reviewed at least, but they didn’t do that as well. So he got a life, and he too scored runs,” he said.

“His playing style is slightly different, and I think South Africa didn’t bowl well in that session. That session went towards Australia, and Australia also showed that you need to score runs to move ahead in the match. All movement is not progress, but progress is when you score runs,” Aakash Chopra concluded.