Australia coach backs under-fire Smith as opener for series against India
Rubbing salt to the injury, the 34-year-old Smith could only manage 51 runs from four knocks during the recently-completed 2-0 series victory over New Zealand.
Riding on half-centuries from Steve Smith (77*) and Marnus Labuschagne (63), Australia ended Day 1 of the second Test against New Zealand with the scoreline of 257 for 4.
After getting an invitation to bat at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday, Australia lost Joe Burns (0) early on mere one run. David Warner (41) and Labuschagne then added 60 runs before the southpaw was brilliantly caught at slips off the bowling of Neil Wagner, when the team’s score was 61.
Smith, who came in next, then took the team to lunch without any further wicket falling. During his brief stay before the first break, Smith was seen engaged in a heated argument with on-field umpire Nigel Llong.
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A delivery from Wagner hit Smith on the ribs and as he tried to take a run off it, Llong dismissed the delivery by calling it a dead ball. After the decision, the former Australia skipper was left furious as it cancelled the run he had taken.
Meanwhile, during his unbeaten innings of 77, the 30-year-old entered the top 10 of the all-time leading run-scorers for Australia in Test cricket. He went past former Test captain Greg Chappell’s tally of 7,110 runs.
In the post-lunch session, Smith and Labuschagne resisted the push from the Black Caps and slowly wrested back the initiative for the hosts. They both scored 83 runs for the third wicket before Labuschagne — after scoring his fifth consecutive fifty – was bowled by Colin de Grandhomme at 63.
After that, Smith partnered with Matthew Wade (38) and then Travis Head to see the hosts pass the 250-run mark. At the close of play, Head remained unbeaten on 25.
Brief scores: Australia 1st innings at Stumps on Day 1: 257/4 (Steve Smith 77*, Marnus Labuschagne 63; Colin de Grandhomme 2/58)
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