Australia’s star batsman, Steve Smith, showered praise on England captain Ben Stokes for his outstanding innings in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Stokes’ heroic knock of 155 off 214 deliveries in the chase of a 371-run target showcased his exceptional skills, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as Australia emerged victorious by 43 runs, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.
Smith lauded Stokes’ performance, hailing him as an “unbelievable player.” The Australian cricketer acknowledged Stokes’ ability to deliver exceptional performances across all formats of the game, particularly highlighting his past exploits at Lord’s. Smith also reflected on the dismissal of the 32-year-old during the gripping encounter.
“It felt a bit like déjà vu. He is an unbelievable player. He is a freak for what he can pull off in cricket – in different formats, on this ground, in this country, he has done some incredible things. He was targeting the short end, and the first shot that he tried the other end, he got out,” Steve Smith said during the post-match presentation.
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Smith also addressed his own dropped catch, admitting that he initially struggled to grab it due to the challenging conditions. He emphasized the importance of putting a decent total on the board, referring to his own contribution in the first innings. Smith’s knocks of 110 and 34 in the first and second innings, respectively, earned him the Player of the Match award for the second Test.
“I didn’t pick it initially, quite difficult square of the wicket to pick the ball and eventually put it down. It’s tough when you give players like him a lifeline, but fortunately, I hit one up the chimney later on. I think it was important to get a decent total on the board. We were looking to bowl as well, considering the overhead conditions. Being able to navigate that stage and put a decent total helped us out,” Steve Smith commented.
Furthermore, Smith commended the team’s performance and acknowledged the effectiveness of the short ball strategy employed against Stokes and the rest of the England batting lineup. The 34-year-old cricketer noted that it was a way to contain the scoring rate, given the challenging nature of the pitch. Smith also praised Nathan Lyon for his courageous batting despite his injury, highlighting Lyon’s valuable contributions towards the end of the innings.
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“It was an incredible game of cricket. The short ball strategy was used because the pitch had variable bounce and was not easy to play on. There wasn’t much on offer when the ball was pitched up. So, it was one way to restrict the scoring, and both teams ended up playing rash shots. As for Nathan batting despite his injury, they play a dangerous brand of cricket, and we never know what is safe. Nathan showed great courage and got us some valuable runs in the end,” Steve Smith concluded.
