Ashes: Enjoyed captaincy in 2nd Test, says stand-in skipper Smith
Dec 20, 2021
Adelaide [Australia], December 20 : Australia stand-in skipper Steve Smith on Monday said that he enjoyed leading the side in the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval.
Jhye Richardson scalped five wickets in the second innings as Australia defeated England by 275 runs in the second Ashes Test. With this win, Australia has gained a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The Boxing Day Test will begin on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
"I wasn't nervous. I think Jos played very well, and played over 200 balls, so it was good resistance along with Chris Woakes and Robbo (Ollie Robinson). We wanted to stay calm because it would take a couple of good balls and a couple of wickets to get the win. I did enjoy captaincy and the guys played well and controlled the game after the first day. Davey (David Warner) and Marnus's partnership set it up, so we could control the game," Smith said after the game.
"A special mention to Starc, who has bowled as well as he's bowled in a long time, and he's led the attack really well. I think he summed it up quickly that it wasn't swinging and he was just hitting a good length and attacking the batsmen. The guys in there said Cam Green shouldn't bowl at all today, because his workload needs to be managed. Ideally, he shouldn't have bowled today, but we needed him to bowl because of how good he has been," he added.
When asked about the fitness of Josh Hazlewood, Smith said: "I have no idea about Josh Hazlewood, but Harris is batting well in the nets, so he needs to not overthink it and trust the process and he can turn it around."
Resuming the final session on Day 5 at 180/8, England was given a body blow almost immediately as Jhye Richardson dismissed Jos Buttler (26). The Three Lions' wicketkeeper's 207-ball stay came to an unfortunate end as he was hit wicket.
The final wicket of James Anderson (2) was taken by Richardson and Australia registered an emphatic win in the second Test.
On Sunday, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, and Jhye Richardson were the standout performers as Australia gained full control on the second Test.
