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Smith declined in the post-match press conference to elaborate on his chat with Archer, with whom he shared the same dressing room while playing in the Indian Premier League for Rajasthan Royals. (Reuters Photo)
Australia captain Steve Smith went berzerk in pushing his team over the line in the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, finishing unbeaten on an astonishing 25 off just nine balls. Australia only had to chase 65, making the fourth innings of the Test little more than a formality but much of the entertainment in the brief essay was centred around Smith’s big hitting and his rather fiery exchanges with England fast bowler Jofra Archer.
Archer had burst onto the scene in Test cricket with an extraordinary barrage of hostile bowling against a flying Smith in the 2018 Ashes. The pair had very few smiles between them on Saturday as they chirped at each other between deliveries but Smith chose to laugh it off at the end of the day.
“That stays on the field, it was good banter. He’s a good competitor, he comes hard at you so it was good fun,” Smith told host broadcaster Fox Sports after smashing an unbeaten 23 off nine balls.
“It just felt right to play a few shots. Archer was obviously bowling pretty quick and there was a short boundary behind me. I thought I would try to get hold of a few, particularly as I heard there was a storm coming so I wanted to get things done.”
Later, Smith declined in the post-match press conference to elaborate on his chat with Archer, with whom he shared the same dressing room while playing in the Indian Premier League for Rajasthan Royals. “He was just bowling good pace and not really too sure what he said and not sure what I said, either. And it’s not really any of your business either. So we’ll leave it at that,” he said with a laugh.
The exchange
After Smith missed an attempted ramp-shot at the Gabba, Archer confronted Smith mid-pitch and fired a few heated words. The captain shot back: “You bowl fast when there’s nothing going on, champ.” Archer sent down another short ball which Smith despatched over the slips to the rope for four.
The pair came together again, prompting England captain Ben Stokes to approach and give his bowler a pat on the back. Archer sent down a 150 kph rocket on the next ball, with Smith pulling it for six. The England quick grinned ruefully as he walked back to his mark before Smith scored a single to end their head-to-head.
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With Australia dominating play, it had been a surprisingly civil Ashes between the teams until Sunday’s late flare-up.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said he hoped Archer could bring the fire in the third test in Adelaide after managing only one wicket at the Gabba. “Great theatre but I will be honest, I want to see Jofra bowling like this in the first innings in Adelaide,” he said on Fox Sports. “I want to see Jofra run in and bowl 150 kph, he’s got it in him, we have seen that. He’s the one bowler I think could crack open an opportunity for England.”
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