There are days when bowlers are made to look like mere spectators and today was one such day for those in the Indian team. The Australian batters, led by former captain Steve Smith and the 'Big Show' Glenn Maxwell, went on a carnage. They feasted on hapless bowling from Jasprit Bumrah and co.
Smith and Marnus Labuschgane were at the crease at a time when India could have tightened the noose since the two set batsmen in captain Aaron Finch and David Warner had been dislodged. The Sydney man though, instead of coming under pressure, counter-attacked as he and Labuschagne added 136 for the third wicket off just 89 balls.
On the way, Smith, a centurion from the last match, completed yet another hundred, this one also coming off just 62 balls. His innings was laced with those signature lofted cover drives which go for six. But added to that this time were the slog sweeps, the cheeky shots through third man and fine leg region, and, of course, the square cuts. In short, he was a treat to watch.
The Twitterati agreed.
Another underperformer from this year's IPL, Glenn Maxwell, too, had decided that he isn’t going to be a spectator. He started from where he had left off in the last game and, this time around, went one step ahead to complete his fifty, that too in just 25 balls. At the end of the innings, he was not out for 63 off just 23 balls. The innings was filled with his bizarre shots that he, mostly, plays off the middle stump, combined with his trademark slog hits.
Amidst all this madness, one must not forget the calm and composed innings of the prodigy Labuschagne. He once again showed what he is made of, silently weaving his way to a fifty and only got out when trying to accelerate at the end.
Apart from these three, the openers Warner and Finch too were instrumental in taking Aussies to 389 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Powered by Froala Editor
Powered by Froala Editor