Australian cricket team’s star batter Steve Smith is my role model. The star cricketer made his International debut way back in 2010 and within a short span of time, the batter became an integral part of the Australian side. Steve Smith had come into the side as a bowling all-rounder but later during BGT 2013, he got a chance and made a strong case for himself.
Steve Smith holds a peculiar record to his name as the batter is a part of the victorious 2015 ODI WC, 2021 T20 WC & the recently concluded ICC World Test Championship 2021-23. It won’t be wrong to say that Smith is a big match player as he has contributed immensely in all the crunch matches of ICC tournaments.
Steve Smith’s batting style is quite unorthodox as the batter doesn’t have any significant weakness in his game plan. Smith is tipped to break all the cricketing records as currently he has 32 tons to his name and is looking unstoppable. Smith may not have a spectacular record in ODIs as compared to Tests, but the batter can change the complexion of the match with his attacking game plan and funky shots.
The way Steve Smith made a comeback after the ball-tampering in 2018, not many gave Smith a chance. Smith was banned from the sport for a year by CA and his captaincy too was snatched away. Steve Smith is the deputy of skipper Pat Cummins in the Test format.
Cricket Australia (CA) has shown faith in Smith despite being involved in the infamous ball-tampering scandal. Smith has got attacking tactics & game plan as compared to Pat Cummins. Steve Smith had a wonderful Ashes 2019 series and he silenced all the critics with his belligerent stroke play. Smith continued his brilliance against England and has got staggering numbers against the arch-rivals.
Steve Smith is expected to open the batting for Australia in the T20I format against South Africa in August-September 2023 in South Africa as the batter had a prolific BBL 2022-23. Smith though was unsold in the IPL auction but the batter can be the surprise package for the opposition in the upcoming T20 WC 2024 with his crisp stroke play.
Steve Smith will have to bring his “A” game if the Aussies want to clinch ODI WC 2023 which is staged in India. Smith was a part of the ODI WC 2011 squad as a right-arm over leg spinner but the side lost against India in the Quarter-Finals. I
It is assumed that Steve Smith would bat at the No.4 position in the marquee championship and guide the batters in the middle overs phase, especially against the spinners as the pitches in India are expected to assist the spinners.
Steve Smith’s journey is inspirational for all aspiring players. A Smith has shown a never to say die attitude. Smith would be keen to get his hands on the silverware in October-November 2023 in India which won’t be an easy task as this time all the 10 teams are evenly matched.
In this modern world, we often forget the importance & value of a loved one in our life. Lady luck is such a thing which can enlighten a man and change his life drastically and turn him into a diamond.
The presence of a lady in life can change the life of a man. There has to be camaraderie between the two individuals as the relationship can also be an embedded one.
South Africa registered a resounding victory at the Iconic Lord’s. The visitors thrashed England and won the 1st Test Match by an innings and 12 runs. England would be dejected as there was no fight whereas Proteas would be over the moon as winning a Test Match at Lord’s doesn’t happen too often
SNAPSHOT: Powerful South African Team blissful after defeating England in the 1st Test Match
Bold Approach by Dean Elgar & bowlers
South Africa’s skipper took an audacious step by choosing to bowl first. The conditions were overcast, but bowling to intrepid English batters was a bit risky. The skipper gave the bowlers the license to be absolutely ruthless. They were bang on, especially Kagiso Rabada who ripped off England’s batting lineup. He took a 5-wicket haul and gave glimpses of the former Legendary fast bowler Makhaya Ntini.
SNAPSHOT: Kagiso Rabada thrilled after taking the wicket of Alex Lees in the 1st innings.
There was an extraordinary bowling display by Anrich Nortje. He was clocking pace at 150 km/hr., the way he set up Johnny Bairstow was a treat to watch. We all know how brutal Bairstow can be against any attack. Nortje knew that the best time to get him out is in the initial stages when he is vulnerable. He confused him by bowling different types of deliveries and then uprooted his middle stump. He was pumped up as he knew that he got the big fish. The speedster was a bit expensive but he took 3 wickets which is invaluable.
SNAPSHOT: Anrich Nortje delighted to see the back of Johnny Bairstow in the 1st innings.
England managed to score only 165 runs and was skittled out in 45 overs on the 2nd day. Apart from Ollie Pope who scored 73 runs in 102 balls, not a single batter scored 30 runs which means that none of the batters wanted to play innings. To some extent, the Britishers would argue that the overcast conditions yielded wickets on Day 1; but that doesn’t mean that they would throw the towel.
SNAPSHOT: Ollie Pope playing a shot and taking the responsibility of England’s batting in testing times.
A Complete performance from South African batters
The skipper Dean Elgar & Sarel Erwee blunted the new ball. Tackling Broad and Anderson isn’t everyone’s cup of tea as the duo can extract swing from a dead pitch too. The peculiarity of the opening partnership was that they focused on rotating the strike which disturbs the bowler’s concentration. The opening partnership was of 85 runs which was the cherry on the top for Proteas as half of the deficit was cut down.
The unexpected match-winner for South Africa with the bat was Sarel Erwee. He scored 73 runs in 146 balls. The elegant opener is a novice to the International Arena, yet he showed a lot of control as there was a bit of banter going on too.
SNAPSHOT: Sarel Erwee playing a cover drive shot against England in the 1st innings of the 1st Test Match.
The skipper Ben Stokes rolled his sleeve as the pacers weren’t getting the desired results. The flamboyant all-rounder bowled his heart out. He tried short ball barrage and astounded the batters by bowling a lot of variations and it was quite successful. The spectators were seeing the other side of Ben Stokes who had a fire in his eyes as he took 3 wickets.
SNAPSHOT: Ben Stokes celebrating a wicket after a lot of hard work.
210-6 was the score and then only Keshav Maharaj and Marco Jansen fretted the bowlers. The duo scored 40 odd runs each which meant that England was behind the 8th ball. At the end of Day 2, the lead was nearing 100 runs.
SNAPSHOT: Keshav Maharaj and Marco Jansen piling on the pain for England Cricket Team.
Day 3 is often said to be the moving day in Test Cricket. The tail-enders somehow took the lead to 161 runs. Stuart Broad attained a unique feat by picking up 100 Wickets at the Lord’s as he took 3 wickets, but he had to toil a lot. South Africa would have hoped that the likes of Markram and Rassie would get a big score as tail-enders scoring runs doesn’t sound well.
England Cricket Team in Tatters
England batters had a mountain to climb as the deficit was a huge one. They needed one of the openers to dig deep. The agony continued for Zak Crawley who this time was undone by the left arm off spinner Keshav Maharaj. Crawley hasn’t scored a half-century in the last 5 test matches; still, Paul Collingwood is backing him which is perplexing.
Once again, Nortje bowled thunderbolts and once again got rid of Bairstow. He took 3 wickets in his short spell of 7 overs. Earlier; Nortje, Ngidi, and Rabada had opted out of Bangladesh Test Series in April 2022 for participating in IPL. But now, it looks like the team is on right track.
SNAPSHOT: Anrich Nortje & team members celebrating the wicket of Johnny Bairstow in 2nd innings.
Ben Stokes tried to avoid some embarrassment but was unable to avoid the ignominy. The dark horse for South Africa was Marco Jansen who took 4 wickets (*2 in each innings) and scored a handy 48 runs in the match. He wrapped up the match for Proteas and gave a warning to England’s batters that he is more than a dark horse. The innings got wrapped up in 37.4 overs which means that English batters didn’t have the right mindset.
What’s wrong with England
England had won 4 back-to-back Test Matches (3 against New Zealand and 1 against India). They were rocking and everyone gave them the fearless tag they were. Brendon McCullum would know that his team had a bad day at the office. At the same time, losing a Test Match at Lord’s hurts a lot. Ben Stokes looks a bit exhausted and it won’t be wrong to say that his natural game is affected due to captaincy.
England already knows that they can’t reach the finals of the ICC World Test Championship at any cost. Now they are placed at 7th position out of 9 nations. They need to show some patience as whacking boundaries may not work all the time. They need to regroup and make sure that they are forming partnerships which are key to succeed in Test Cricket. Perhaps, we may see a dangerous England in the 2nd Test Match on 25th August.
What lies ahead for South Africa
South Africa has found a hole in England’s approach and created havoc. Dean Elgar played mind games against England which paid off. He was quite vocal stating that England’s approach is not sustainable. The Skipper is showing glimpses of Graeme Smith who used to be ecstatic. South African Cricket is getting great again after the turmoil and legal battles with the administration.
South Africa in World Test Championship has won 6 Test Matches out of 8 and are the table toppers. They are definitely on a song and they would be hoping that the Juggernaut continues. It is often said; that the higher you reach, the steeper it goes. South Africa would be aware of their collapses which often spoils all the hard work. Still, there is a lot to ponder for Proteas even after a clinical performance.
Joe Root has achieved another feat by scoring 25 Test Hundreds in 115 Test Matches. Root has had a dream run in Test Cricket since 2021 where he scored centuries against subcontinental teams like Sri Lanka and I ndia. He literally loves toying with the bowlers as his attacking instincts are a treat to watch for the bowler too. He has been a prolific batter for quite some time now as he knows that the team is vulnerable to collapses. He has been doing his best by scoring tons of runs but in doing so he isn’t doing shrewd Captaincy which is badly needed as England are at the bottom of World Test Championship.
Root had come into bat when the team was on the verge of another collapse as the score was 80-2. The pitch was a minefield as the bowlers were having an amazing time where the odd ball was also keeping low which made the contest more enthralling. His most of the runs came towards by playing a flick shot and towards covers region. He was quite clever in his approach as he made the most of bad balls as he made the likes of Roach and Holder grind a lot.
Daniel Lawrence was the other batter present at the non-strike. He proved to be a keen observer and quick learner as he too got a great start. He made the most of out and now it looks he has sealed his place in the team as a proper middle orde batter. In the ultimate over of the Day 1 he got a bit greedy by playing a cover shot that too when he already had scored 8 runs off 4 deliveries; the trap was a brilliant as Holder had bowled enticing deliveries and then just bowled a back of length delivery and Lawrence was caught in Covers region; Lawrence would rue a lot for his shot selection, his score at that time was 91 runs, he was on the verge of a well deserved Century, Holder showed that his experience can change the momentum of the match.
England’s score is 244-3 runs with Root not out on 119 balls. England’s batters bat very deep and we can sense a 1st innings total in excess of 450 runs. Stokes and Bairstow are great at changing gears which will make life difficult for West Indies batters in the 1st innings. The new ball for West Indies has given them a huge scalp in the form of Lawrence, if they can take a leaf out of 1st Test Match where England were 268-6, they were looking set for a total around 400; but the Caribbean bowlers bundled out England for 312 Runs.
West Indies have the power to create a havoc as the 1st over holds the key here. If England manages to get away with it then we are in for a high scoring match; for West Indies they need to play witty cricket here as England’s batters would be in an attacking mindset as Root had made his intentions very much clear. Holder needs to lead the attack while the duo of Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach should be used; Joseph because he has raw pace which can perturb the batter whereas Roach is impeccable with his line and length. All in all, we are in for a spectacular 1st session where either we will witness a collapse or gritty defence as Stokes is sturdy in defense.
SNAPSHOT: At the end of Day 1’s Play Joe Root waiving his bat to the Crowd after smashing his 25th Test Hundred.
(1) Pat Cummins rues missed chances in the 2nd Test Match, which went down to the wire but couldn’t produce a result. Aussie bowlers bowled more than 170 overs in the 2nd innings as of now the Pacers would be exhausted, next Test Match is scheduled on 20th March 2022.
(2) Joe Root makes a resounding comeback as he hammered Caribbean bowlers and scored an unbeaten 119 runs. He along with Daniel Lawrence were involved in a huge 166 runs.
(3) Babar Azam misses out on an incredible double century by 4 runs, in his innings he had consumed more than four hundred deliveries and made sure that Pakistan aren’t losing the match. Rizwan played a crucial role in drawing the match by notching up a Century where the pitch was doing a lot of talking.
Bairstow has made a stand out comeback to the Test Setup, he notched up a Scintillating Century on Day 1. During that period England had lost 4 wickets for 48 runs and were in a precarious position. He then along with Stokes formed a crucial partnership, the partnership was a short one but they made sure that Caribbean Bowlers aren’t creating more havoc. Bairstow made sure that he plays responsibly and played according to the situation.
Bairstow went berserk after getting his eye in. He literally smashed bowlers for consecutive fours and dominated the game. He outclassed every bowler’s attempt to dismiss him. At the end of Day 1 Play, he had cracked up a Century.
The peculiarity of his century was that he played with straight bat. He played with a lot of positive attitude which was seen after a long time. He was as usual dominant in his style of batting and created a fear factor in opponent’s mind. Bairstow was seen relieved after scoring a Hard-fought Century.
Bairstow was under scanner for his performance. He had scored a Century in Ashes 2021-22 but that wasn’t enough for England to avoid an ignominy. The entire batting line up failed which resulted in the axing of Jos Buttler. Bairstow knows that he can be as lethal as Buttler and would hope that his second chance doesn’t get wasted.
Bairstow was often seen in and out of the team due to poor form. The former Director Ashley Giles, once said that Bairstow needs to have a reset. His form was so bad that selectors said openly about his omission. He was one of the senior statesmen who had immense experience and a proud record, but a sudden flip of form proved to be life changing for him.
His weakness was against spin bowling. In India Tour 2021 Bairstow got exposed to India’s foxy spinners. He wasn’t just able to move his feet in the right direction. His nemesis got exposed so much that the bowlers were comfortable in trying out new ways for getting him out.
In England vs India Test Series 2021 in England, once again he was seen having a torrid time. This time the pacers found the chink in the armour. His career was on a thin edge as smashing daddy hundreds are a must, especially from one of the best batters. ECB and Root backed him on a silent note as we will never know when a batsman founds back his groove.
The tour of Ashes started. Cricket Australia fulfilled England Cricket Board’s every demand and made Ashes 2021-22 happen. The backing paid off as Bairstow scored a magnificent century. He was seen toying with Aussie Quicks as everyone asked a simple question that why did ECB, Root and Silverwood didn’t play him before.
Earlier Bairstow was playing against his natural game. His natural way of playing is to attack and that too from the word go. It would be a huge relief as ECB finally got their old Champion Cricketer back.
His off side weakness was exposed as he wasn’t able to get off the mark. He used to get out in the initial stages which didn’t give him a chance to settle. Bairstow didn’t had the look in face when facing the bowler which was the main reason for his unforgettable outings.
The dashing batter is now back and looks set to inflict a lot of damage. His way of attacking the bowlers was unquestionable. He now has reinvented himself and we can say transformed his batting style. Bairstow would be happy that he took England out of trouble and made a strong statement that he isn’t finished yet.
The major test of character for Bairstow would be to continue the momentum forward in the 2nd Test Match at Barbados. The pitch is expected to be a topsy-turvy one where both pacers and spinners would be in the game. The performances of past can haunt him as he wasn’t a good batter when the bowlers were in full form. There are chances that West Indies opt for 2 spinners which can be threatening as well as fantastic as we all know that his destructive Bairstow can be against spinners as he showcased it against Permaul by whacking him all around the park; All in all, Bairstow has a stern test which may be difficult yet a dazzling one as Bairstow doesn’t easily throws the towel down.
SNAPSHOT: Jonny Bairstow is Ecstatic after smashing a Dazzling Century
The moment Holder and Bonner came into bat, West Indies had lost 4 wickets and were on the verge of a defeat. England’s bowlers had 30 odd overs to rip of the batting line up. Root rotated Stokes, Woakes and Overton while at the other end it was Jack Leach. Leach was bowling a brilliant spell as he was getting ample turn which was enough to make a batter think twice before defending a ball.
Holder and Bonner were resolute in their defence. They not only made sure to play out deliveries, but made sure that they are blocking the ball in the middle of the bat. Holder in general was busy in leaving the ball which made a statement that he isn’t finished yet, as earlier in 1st innings; he was out immediately as he was undone by the trap of Ben Stokes. Bonner was typical in his defence as he continued from where he left in the 1st innings.
Holder and Bonner consumed more than 200 deliveries amongst themselves. Holder was gritty against Leach as Leach had the knack of knocking over any batter. He was just bossing the game with lethal line and lengths, at times the batter too appreciated his bowling. Leach made the most use of a dreadful pitch for batters as picking up 3 wickets wasn’t that easy as it looks.
West Indies and England are now scheduled to clash on 16th March 2022 at Barbados. Richards-Botham Trophy didn’t started like a Bang but there was exhibition of immense determination from Bairstow,Bonner and Holder. The pitch probably was docile but it wasn’t that bad for a Cricket Fan where there was even contest with bat and ball. Barbados pitch is expected to be a turner where we can expect 2 spinners in the playing 11 for both the teams. West Indies would be proud of their performance as not only their Bonner was adept while the Pacers too made England batters down on their music. England on the other hand would be relieved as they found their old Johnny Bairstow who was batting in an aggressive manner which reminded the fans of 2018-19 season; Leach’s 3 wickets are a huge boost as now they can plan to play another spinner. All in all, no team has an advantage for the 2nd Test Match which makes the contest more even than ever; Richards-Botham Trophy is tied on 0-0 and the winner of the trophy has to win both test matches. West Indies have a wood over England, while the same can be said for England.
SNAPSHOT: Holder and Bonner bailing out West Indies from a difficult Day 5
(1) Usman Khwaja smashes a terrific Century against Pakistan at Karachi. Aussies manage to score 251-3 till the end of Day 1 Play.
(2) England and West Indies inaugurate Richards-Botham Trophy 2022 with a Draw. Joe Root and Co tried to bundle out West Indies but their batters were resolute in defence which made sure that they don’t lose the 1st Test Match.
(3) Pakistan’s curator could be questioned for preparing a road kind of pitch. Only two wickets were taken by the bowlers and one was a run out, if such template continues then PCB won’t be able to bring all the nations to Pakistan as the teams would know the output of a pitch which is not at all promising for Pakistan’s fans.
Pat Cummins confirms the debut of leg spinner Mitchell Swepson for Karachi Test Match. Aussies surprisingly would go with 2 spinners which no doubt can be risky as Swepson could be targeted.
(2) England
England’s batters made sure that they aren’t losing nor winning the 1st Test Match on Day 4. Zak Crawley and Joe Root made sure to fret and annoy Caribbean bowlers by rotating the strike and knocking an odd boundary, The batters are well set to score daddy hundreds and would hope that the bowling line up of England creates a magic on Day 5 by bowling them out in a span of 50-70 overs, the fate of the Test Match has changed drastically and is looking for a Draw which isn’t good for Test Cricket.
(3) Pakistan
Babar Azam makes a bold statement by stating that his team dominated Rawalpindi Test Match. Former Head Coach Misbah ul Haq lambasted Aussies and said that Australia don’t ask Pakistan while creating pitches.
**Zak Crawley Makes A Strong Case as an Opener by Notching up a Brilliant Century*
Day 4 was a crucial one for England as the deficit was a tiny one yet dangerous. Kemar Roach got rid of the debutant Alex Lees quickly and gave Vibes of the 1st innings where he was instrumental in breaking the back of England’s batting line up. Zak Crawley took time to get his eye in, then he went into attacking mode as the old Zak was on fire. He stitched an invaluable partnership with the Captain Joe Root and both the batters were quite spot on with their shot selection. Zak was literally attacking each and every bowler, especially Roach and Holder who were getting movement. His knock has now made sure that he not only has sealed his place at the top but found his old touch. He batted exactly the same way of the Season 2018 where he had smashed a double century against Pakistan in England. ECB would be relieved as finally an opener got to 3 figures mark. Although he needs to start afresh as in the Caribbean the ball does a lot of talking. Nevertheless the batter would hope that he isn’t dropped from here onwards just like old times, it looks as if he has hit his purple patch as most of the times he was seen using his feet which made the bowler change his line and length.
*Joe Root gets back to form after a Lean Patch
Joe Root the Captain would be happy that he is back into the form. He had a forgettable Ashes 2021-22 with the bat, from then onwards there were talks going on of his credibility as a batter. ECB should not forget that Joe Root is on the brink of 10,000 Test Runs which doesn’t happen in an overnight. The batter was quite relaxed at the crease as Zak took the pressure off h by smashing the bowlers all-around the park. Root got to play his natural game and once he was set, he too didn’t shy from taking the fast bowlers down. This Series is Vital for Joe Root Skipper and Joe Root batter as their fate would be decided, Richards-Botham Trophy’s inauguration is a perfect opportunity for Joe Root to reset his Captaincy Career as he hasn’t been outstanding in the role; in World Test Championship 2021-23 England are placed at bottom which doesn’t sound good when you started playing the Game. Root’s speciality was that he didn’t allow the Pacers to dominate him, he had made sure that he rotated the strike on a Consistent basis which eventually perturbed Caribbean bowlers. The Captain would be aiming to get to a big score and give England’s bowlers a chance of winning Test Chance which is distant yet attainable as we all know Cricket is a Game of Uncertainties.
*Ineffective Spells from Caribbean Bowlers*
In the Morning Session, Roach had got rid off the debutant Alex Lees and sensed that once again he can be the wrecker-in-chief. Zak’s attacking instincts and bold nature was unexpected, the pitch was docile yet an odd ball was doing the talking; the dashing batter didn’t hesitate to take on the left arm off spinner Permaul. The Bowlers got a brutal hammering as they conceded runs in excess of 3 runs per over. Captain Kraigg Braithwaite was undone by aggressive brand of Cricket which was blatantly out of the blue. England’s batters have made sure that now West Indies won’t be winning the Test Match, the lead has gone past 150 runs and only a miracle can save the Test Match from Draw. Caribbean Fast Bowlers should not get disheartened as 2 more Test Matches are still remaining to decide the winner of the inaugural Richards-Botham Trophy 2022.
*What lies ahead on Day 5 for England and West Indies*
England would be hoping to have a speedy Morning Session where they score 120-150 runs, most importantly go past 300 runs mark which would give them a psychological advantage of defending the target. West Indies on the other hand, would pray that Rain Gods interrupt atleast 1 Session as batting on Day 5 won’t be easy, if they get early 3-4 wickets then they would be knocking the door of victory in the 1st Test Match; for that to happen Roach, Holder and Joseph will have to bowl out of the skin to generate reverse swing as the red ball is more than 60 overs old.
*Fate of Richards-Botham Trophy 2022*
Before the inauguration of Richards-Botham Trophy 2022, West Indies and England’s Test Series was named as Wisden Trophy. The Last Test Series between these two nations was played in July 2020 England where England had won by 2-1. They were the Holder of the Wisden Trophy, there are umpteen chances that the 1st Test Match would be a Draw; in that scenario West Indies has to make sure that they either win the Series by 1-0 or 2-0 to win the inaugural trophy, England on the other side would be aiming to either draw remaining 2 Test Matches, win one of them or win the Series by 2-0. England and West Indies are in the same place right now, both teams are going through a transition and in doing so both team’s Boards have started a Cleaning Procedure by removing Cricketers who had poor form.
SNAPSHOT: Joe Root seen playing a cover drive shot against West Indies bowler.SNAPSHOT: Zak Crawley pumped up after Scoring a Century against West Indies at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
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