Former Australia Cricket Team skipper Steve Smith has once again come under the firing line after he was caught trying to remove Rishabh Pant’s guard on day 5 of the Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Meanwhile, the game is currently poised brilliantly with the last session of the game left.
The story was completely different at the end of the fourth day’s play with India staring at defeat after losing openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma in quick succession. The openers gave a good start once again but gave away wickets after getting set. To make things worse, India lost Ajinkya Rahane within the first couple of overs of the fifth day’s play.
Steve Smith tries to unsettle Rishabh Pant
Since then, it was all Rishabh Pant in the morning session of day 5. Playing with an injured arm, he started slow just blocking everything that came his way. But once he shifted gears, there was no stopping him. The youngster took on Nathan Lyon stepping out and hitting him over the on-field fielders.
Also Read: Watch – Josh Hazlewood Bowls A Ripper To Castle Cheteshwar Pujara’s Timber
Meanwhile, Steve Smith tried to unsettle Rishabh Pant, who until then has hurt the Aussie bowlers badly. During one of the drinks breaks, Smith went to the batsman’s crease, shadow batted, and scuffed the batsman’s guard. It goes without saying he was trying to disturb the batsman’s concentration. Thereafter, Pant had to come and take a fresh guard again.
Watch the video here:
After drinks break Steve Smith comes to shadow bat and scuffs out pant's guard marks.#RishabhPant then returns and has to take guard again. pic.twitter.com/OQ9elpuaAo
— 𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙝𝙖𝙢 𝟒𝟓 (@Jersey_Num_45) January 11, 2021
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant departed three short of the magical three-figure mark before Josh Hazlewood removed Cheteshwar Pujara after a long vigil with a perfect ripper of a delivery. Since then, Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari have worked hard to hold the fort tight.
Vihari showed grit and determination to fight a hamstring injury while Ashwin was hit on his chest as the Aussie attack bowled a barrage of bouncers at the Indian batsmen. With another 25 overs to go, India will have to continue their fight to save the Test match and go to Brisbane with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tied at 1-1.
