Steve Smith and Jofra Archer were locked in battle on Day 4 of the AUS vs ENG 2nd Ashes Test. With Australia closing in on victory, England urged on Jofra Archer who bowled a fiery spell testing Smith with some fast and short pitched bowling. The Australian captain quipped back suggesting Archer was only bowling fast when the result was a foregone conclusion.
With Australia needing less than 20 runs to win, Smith said, "Bowl fast when there is nothing going on champion."
Smith walked into bat after Gus Atkinson dismissed Marnus Labuschagne with a peach. While the result was a formality, England dug into a fiesty approach, not wanting to go down without a fight. The Australia stand-in captain went blow for blow in a tense verbal battle.
Archer steamed in quick but Smith had the last laugh. The Australian ace pummeled 19 off the over, edging the hosts closer to a win. Archer and Smith do have history, boing back to the 2019 series. Archer, making his Ashes debut had troubled the Australian ace with his pace. He even hit the Australian on the helmet, forcing a concussion substitute. 6 years later, the duo have now resumed their rivalry again.
Michael Neser’s maiden five-wicket haul ensured Australia strengthened their hold on the Ashes by securing an eight-wicket victory on Sunday. On Day 4, England briefly resisted with a 96-run partnership between captain Ben Stokes and Will Jacks. However, the lower order collapsed once Neser delivered the decisive blows to take 5-41, leaving Australia to chase only 65 for victory.
Australia’s pursuit of the target was swift, with Steve Smith’s unbeaten 23 off nine balls dashing any hopes of a late England comeback. The victory gave the hosts a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, with the third Test set to start in Adelaide on December 17.
