Australian standout Steve Smith was taken aback when he was given out LBW to a ball that appeared to be missing the leg stump during their match against South Africa in Lucknow on Thursday. In a challenging chase of 312 runs, with Australia losing two early wickets, Smith displayed his skills with four splendid boundaries in just 15 deliveries.
However, a fast and aggressive delivery from Kagiso Rabada struck Smith’s pads as he failed to make contact with the ball. Smith gestured that the ball was heading down the leg side, a view supported by the umpires. But, Quinton de Kock, the wicketkeeper, exuded confidence from behind the stumps and convinced skipper Temba Bavuma to opt for the DRS referral. To the joy and amazement of even the South African team, the ball tracking technology indicated that the ball had hit the leg stump.
This led to the umpires reversing their decision and declaring Smith out. A stunned Steve Smith was unable to accept the decision and left the field, visibly shaking his head in disagreement.
Controversial DRS On
Steve Smith
Marcus
Dismissal They will make good
Impact game #AUSvSA #CWC2023 #IsraelTerrorists pic.twitter.com/BlYU5Ju3Zy— Malik Fazal12 (@Fazal12Malik) October 12, 2023
After recovering from an injury, Smith faced difficulties in the first two matches against India, but he managed a score of 74 in the last ODI. He also batted well, scoring 46 runs, in Australia’s opening match of the World Cup against India. However, his dismissal appeared to be a significant setback for Australia, as they slumped to 50/3 in the 10th over, needing another 262 runs from 241 balls.
South Africa is doing well and is likely to win comfortably against Australia
South Africa appears to be heading for another strong victory against their rivals, Australia, in their second match of the 2023 World Cup. They were asked to bat first and scored 311/7 in 50 overs, with Quinton de Kock leading the way with a century. De Kock’s century came off 90 deliveries, with eight boundaries and five sixes, and Aiden Markram also contributed with a classy half-century. Australia’s fielding was less than impressive, with several missed chances and misplays on a tricky pitch.
In response, Australia faced a challenging opening attack from Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi, leading to a score of 27/2 in seven overs. Kagiso Rabada then further dented Australia by dismissing Steve Smith and Josh Inglis. Keshav Maharaj got Glenn Maxwell out, and Rabada removed Marcus Stoinis, leaving Australia in a dire situation at 70/6 in the 18th over.
South Africa had a resounding victory against Sri Lanka, while Australia faced a defeat in their first match against the host, India. The Proteas recently made a remarkable comeback in a series against Australia, winning 3-2 from a 0-2 deficit in their home series. They have also won 14 of the last 17 ODIs against the five-time World Champions. Currently, Australia is at 108/6 in 27 overs, with Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Starc at the crease.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.