Ashes Rewind: Smith’s cracking hundred at WACA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOHELH1bEts

Steve Smith recently clinched the top spot in the ICC Test Batsmen Rankings and this article is to relive one of his defiant knocks in the Ashes 13/14. Australia went into the third Test 2-0 up and would reclaim the urn if they won this Test.

It was a great start for the visitors, England and a horrific one for the hosts as they stumbled to 5-143 midway through the opening day. Steve Smith, still in the early days of his Test career, decided to take the attack on to the opposition. He went off the mark with a brilliant six off Swann.

As they say, attack is the best form of defense, Smith put this statement in application. He batted with exquisite timing, crunching strokes and went for the hard twos and threes as well to give an outstanding fight.

He eventually scored a hundred and was hauled by experts and legends of the game for a valiant effort under pressure to put Australia back in to the driver’s seat. Smith shut all his critics who were raising questions on his ability to score runs in the longer format.

Didn’t he shut those critics for good? After helping Australia regain the Ashes urn, he took over the captaincy from Michael Clarke when India toured Down Under and scored brilliant hundreds to win that Test series as well. Smith has surely come a long way and deserves his top spot in the ICC Test Batsmen rankings.