England centurion Joe Root has leapt to the defence of teammate Jamie Smith after the wicketkeeper recklessly threw his wicket away on day two of the New Year’s Ashes Test at the SCG.
The tourists were cruising at 5-323 with ten minutes remaining before lunch when the Surrey gloveman fell into an obvious trap while facing Australian part-timer Marnus Labuschagne, who had previously never taken a Test wicket with seam bowling. With six fielders on the boundary rope, Smith backed away from a bouncer and swatted it directly towards deep cover, departing for 46.
England lost 5-61 following the needless dismissal, opening the door for a potential Australian comeback.
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The Ashes | Test 5, Day Two Highlights | 15:36
Speaking to reporters at stumps, Root congratulated Smith on trying to move the game forward and explained the rationale behind his aggressive strokeplay; the duo were hoping to eke out as many runs as they could against the softened Kookaburra before Australia took the second new ball.
“You go into a second new ball, you saw how it reacted. It was completely different that second new ball,” said Root, who scored a masterful 160 in the first innings.
“It was about maximising that ten-over period ahead of facing that new ball.
“You eke out an extra 20 runs, that could be the difference later on down the line.
“There was s method behind what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to move the game forward all the time.
“When it doesn’t come off, it can look a certain way, but you’re never playing to get out, you’re playing to score runs.
“As a batter, your job isn’t to survive, it’s to score runs. You can’t win games just surviving. You have to score more runs in the opposition.”
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Since coach Brendon McCullum has taken charge of the Test side, multiple England batters have been guilty of cheaply handing over the wicket at crucial moments in the match, which has become a source of frustration for supporters.
Smith’s blunder prompted heavy backlash from commentators and fans; ex-England fast bowler Steven Finn called it “completely brainless” on TNT commentary, while former Test captain Nasser Hussain pondered whether it was “England’s worst dismissal of the series”.
“It was a really poor shot, not just because of the execution of the shot and because Labuschagne was bowling, but the timing – and that is the problem with this England side,” Hussain told Sky Sports.
“They have a lot of talent, but don’t seem to lock onto the situation of the game. It was nine minutes until lunch and five overs until the new ball. Just survive and go again.
“I hope someone in that dressing room at some stage – maybe not this evening but at the end of the Test – will sit down with him and say, ‘At times in this series you have not taken the right option.’”
Asked whether he could appreciate why England fans were unhappy with Smith’s performance, Root responded: “It’s very easy to over-analyse certain dismissals, but sometimes you just make a mistake, and you have to learn from it and make sure you don’t make the same mistake again.
“That’s the art of the game sometimes, it’s not being too hard on yourself, it’s not being too soft on yourself, it’s being real and understanding what you need to do to get the best out of yourself.”
He added: “Whenever someone loses a wicket, you’d be frustrated, but there’s no one more frustrated than the guy that’s lost his wicket. The guy’s working incredibly hard.
“I understand that people will see the game differently, and there are times absolutely that you have to be able to absorb pressure and understand at different moments when to put it back on.
“But I think that was an opportunity, and I back him 100 per cent to take that next time around as well.”
Earlier on Monday, England No. 5 Harry Brook was dismissed by seamer Scott Boland during the third over of the day after wafting at a wide delivery and edging towards slip, ending his 169-run partnership with Root.
Asked whether he thought Brook may regret his shot selection, Root shook his head and replied: “Brook played exceptionally well … and I hope he gains a huge amount of confidence from that, not look back at it in regret.
“It could be a vital innings in the context of this game.”
Queensland captain Labuschagne, who had previously taken 13 Test wickets with his part-time leggies, has previously tasked himself with producing bumper barrages in the Sheffield Shield, a ploy that has often worked at domestic level. One of his deliveries on Monday was clocked at 135.7km/h.
“We’ve seen it in Shield cricket, it’s not a surprise to us,” Australian teammate Michael Neser said of Labuschagne’s wicket while speaking to reporters at stumps.
“He’s actually done that role quite often in Shield cricket, and got a fair few wickets bowling short.
“It’s not like it’s just a fluke. He’s actually practised it.”
Australia was 2-166 at stumps on day two, still trailing England by 218 runs, with opener Travis Head (91*) and nightwatcher Michael Neser (1*) unbeaten in the middle.
The fifth and final Ashes Test resumes on Tuesday at 10am AEDT.
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