We often talk about how the best players in the world are not just talented but are also always aware of the game situation. Presence of mind matters and that’s what we saw from former Australia Cricket captain Steve Smith today in the third and final ODI against New Zealand at home. He took a calculated risk, knowing it was actually risk-free for him eventually.
We’re talking about one particular over where Smith hoicked James Neesham for six and then informed the umpire that there was one less player inside the ring, which automatically made it a no ball. He knew that if his shot failed and was caught in the deep, he could’ve informed the umpire and got a no ball either way. Well played Steve Smith!
Steve Smith hits six and asks for no ball
Presence of mind is super important and that’s why Smith is often regarded as one of the best. He’s been down and out and short of runs, especially in the ODI format of late. However, he toiled and eventually excelled in the 3rd ODI at Cairns, where all the three ODIs in this series was played. He brought up his 12th ODI century today!
He started slow but anchored the innings and helped Australia put up 267/5 which is a pretty competitive score on this wicket which has proved to be a low-scoring one in this series so far. He hit 11 fours and that one maximum in his innings of 105(131) in today’s game. He had a good partnership with Marnus Labuschagne, who also scored a fifty in the game.
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His six-hitting moment turned out to be one that was appreciated heavily on social media. “How good is Steve Smith, he smashed a six against Neesham, and knew one fielder was short in 30 yards so after the six he told the umpire about this and got the no-ball,” said one user on Twitter. Here’s the moment of the six:
The game awareness of Steve Smith is just extraordinary.pic.twitter.com/GE4eyIuhtB
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 11, 2022
It was also the final one day international for Aaron Finch who decided to call it quits from the ODI format just a day ago, after a run of poor form in this format. In fact, he only got 5, 5, 0 in three ODIs in this series and wasn’t able to get much on the board even in his final game. Steve Smith however, ensured his final ODI was a good one.
Smith’s batting average of 44.53 is the highest it has ever been in his ODI career and it’s safe to say that he’s on top of his game right now. Australia will be aiming to complete a 3-0 whitewash as they try to defend this total in the third ODI. For more updates on cricket and sports around the world in general, stay tuned to ReadScoops.com.
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