- Title: Cricket-Smith, Head team up to give India bas case of ‘Déjà vu’
- Date: 15th December 2024
- Summary: BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 15, 2024) (ANI-No use India) FANS CELEBRATING AND WAVING FLAG PEOPLE BEATING DRUMS CHILD DANCING WITH DRUMS PLAYING BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 15, 2024) (ANI-No use India/No use social media/No use digital) (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN CRICKETER, STEVE SMITH, SAYING: "I felt like I was moving into the ball nicely. Obviously, I had bit of a luck earlier on, which I think you need on these surfaces to score big runs…. rode that and then obviously I had a great seat in the house to watch Travis Head go about his business again. It was a great partnership and it felt a lot like the World Test Championship final in a way. You know the way he came out and just smacked it…and I could sort of take second fiddle and do my thing. So, it was a really good day." BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 15, 2024) (ANI-No use India) FANS DANCING BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 15, 2024) (ANI-No use India/No use social media/No use digital) (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN CRICKETER, STEVE SMITH, SAYING: "Yea, now look it was nice to get to three figures, it's been a little while. I mean it was cool to contribute to the team today. It's been tricky…the first couple of games… I had a couple of nice balls and got strangled down the leg side at Adelaide. I mean I feel like I have been batting well for the last month or so just sticking to my processes." BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 15, 2024) (ANI-No use India) VARIOUS OF GABBA STADIUM BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 15, 2024) (ANI-No use India/No use social media/No use digital) (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDIAN BOWLING COACH, MORNE MORKEL, SAYING: "I think in the first up with the ball this morning, we were pretty good. Three (wickets) for 70 (runs), you put two (wickets) in the scoreboard there and got right back in the game but taking nothing away from two world-class players. Steve Smith, we know on the other end is a guy that can also bat big and score runs. So, yea they put a partnership and put us under pressure with a softer, older ball. So definitely an area we need to focus on is maybe deeper in the innings in terms of game plans. Yes, we have got the game plans but are we executing those game plans with a softer ball from both ends? It is something we need to discuss and get better at." BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 15, 2024) (ANI-No use India) TRAFFIC OUTSIDE GABBA STADIUM
- Embargoed: 29th December 2024 14:21
- Keywords: Australia Brisbane India Steve Smith Travis Head cricket test match
- Location: BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
- City: BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
- Country: Australia
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Cricket,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001L58OS3Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:While racking up centuries and a 241-stand in the third test at the Gabba on Sunday, Australia's Travis Head and Steve Smith gave India a repeat of their nightmare in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
At The Oval in June last year, the pair combined for 285 runs in the first innings to set a platform for Australia's maiden WTC title, Head smashing 163 from 174 balls while Smith played the patient accumulator in his 268-ball knock of 121.
The pair reprised their roles on Sunday, Smith making 101 off 190 deliveries and Head racing to 152 at nearly a run a ball.
Jasprit Bumrah dismissed them both after tea but not until the pair had batted through the entire middle session to undo India's positive start of three morning wickets.
"I've been feeling good the last few games, I just haven't managed to get in and get into my work," said Smith, who shrugged off a dire run of scores and snapped his longest streak without a century.
Head celebrated back-to-back hundreds, having smashed a match-winning 140 in the pink ball test in Adelaide, and posted his ninth test ton to continue his role as India's nemesis.
"It felt pretty similar to the Test Championship final, actually, the way we went about our business today," Smith said.
India's bowling coach Morne Morkel praised the duo's innings but said that the Rohit Sharma-led team needs to work better on their game plans.
With the series level at 1-1, Australia finished day two at well in front at 405 for seven after rain restricted them to 28 for no loss on day one.
Victory at the Gabba would put Australia within one test win of sealing their place in the WTC final while taking India's hopes of reaching the decider out of their hands. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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