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Steve Smith Talks About the First Test Failure and Pakistan’s Send-off
By Shruti - Nov 27, 2019 10:04 am
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After having a tremendous Ashes series earlier this year, Steve Smith failed to capitalize in the Test against Pakistan. But he was dismissed very cheaply by Pakistani bowler Yasir Shah. Even his pointed celebration at dismissing Smith in the series-opener has spiked Smith’s motivation for the second Test starting on Friday in Adelaide as well. Shah raised seven fingers which referred to the number of times he has got Steve Smith out in Test cricket, in an act noted as “interesting” by Smith also.

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Steve Smith

“It gave me a bit more motivation next game to not get out to him,” Smith told reporters in Adelaide. “So I will probably be a little bit more disciplined against him.”

Smith made only four runs before being bowled while attempting a drive against Shah in Australia’s only innings during their first Test win in Brisbane.

“I always punish myself when I get no runs, just like I reward myself when I score runs with a chocolate bar at the end of the night if I get a hundred,” he said. “So yeah, if I get no runs I always like to have a run or go to the gym or do something just to give myself a bit of a punishment.”

Read here: Virat Kohli Praises the Home and Away Format of WTC

England pacer Stuart Broad has dismissed Steve Smith eight times in Tests – the only bowler to dismiss him more than legspinner Shah. But Broad took 24 Tests while Shah has played only six Tests against Smith.

Shah
Yasir Shah

“I feel the times he [Shah] has got me out, I have been on a few runs,” Smith said. “I have been slogging in a couple of second innings ones where I was playing some funky shots and stuff so I’m not too worried. I thought he bowled really well at the Gabba, got some good drift and a little bit of spin on a wicket that probably wasn’t spinning that much, so bowled well.”

Smith came to the crease in Brisbane when Australia were 351-2.

“I probably do bat a little bit better when there is pressure on, for sure. The situation we were at was a pretty good one … I actually spoke to JL [coach Justin Langer] in the morning. I was like ’how should I approach this today, what do you think?’ and he said ’do what you want to do’. I thought about being quite aggressive and it didn’t work. It’s fine with me. I know that batting, you fail a lot, so when you get in need to make the most of it,” Steve Smith concluded.