Ravichandran Ashwin set the trap perfectly before dismissing him for a cuck in the first innings of the Boxing-Day Test. Steve Smith came into this test match with a brilliant record in previous Boxing-Day Tests. In his seven Boxing Day Tests, before this one, the right-hander has scored 908 runs at 113.50 with four centuries and three other scores more than 50. At his home ground in Sydney, his next best average at home, he has an average of 67.88. However, in this innings, he was done by a plan from Ravichandran Ashwin which he failed to read.
Meanwhile, former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has delved more into this by sharing the thought behind how Ashwin planned the downfall of Smith. He started by saying that he was surprised to see the amount of spin on a first-day wicket. Smith who has had a good record in Boxing-Day Tests in the recent past, was out for a duck as he was caught by Ashwin in the slips. Cheteshwar Pujara caught him in the leg slip position as Smith tried to flick one through.
Ravi Ashwin has Steve Smith!
The Aussie departs for a duck 👀
As simple as you like… pic.twitter.com/Y7pxOgWSA8
— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) December 26, 2020
Also Read: Australia vs India 2020: Steve Smith Records An Unwanted First In Boxing-Day Test
Sunil Gavaskar Reads On Ravichandran Ashwin’s Dismissal of Steve Smith
“First and foremost, I’m pretty surprised at the fact that on Day 1 there’s a lot of turn for the Indian spinners,” Gavaskar told 7 cricket.
“He’s been bowling straight, he’s been bowling on the middle and leg, it’s been pretty much a plan to try and restrict the batsmen from playing any shot through the off-side. If you look at Smith’s dismissal because maybe he was on zero he wanted to get off the mark, wasn’t able to control it,” he added.
Ravichandran Ashwin accounted for Smith’s wicket in the first Test match as well when he dismissed him for four. Meanwhile, this is the first time, Smith was dismissed for a duck against India in Tests.
R Ashwin has made Smith his big scalp in both the test matches in the series so far. With David Warner missing, Smith’s early dismissal meant that India put Australia on the back foot right at the start.
Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane brought up his 12th Test ton as he is batting unbeaten on a ton as Team India aims to extend their lead on Day 2 in Melbourne.
