Steve Smith has joined David Warner in publicly laughing off rumours that he could retire following the Oval Test.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan had floated on Fox Cricket through the week that Smith and Warner may each bid farewell to the format on the finish of the Ashes collection.
Warner – who has already flagged his deliberate retirement in January – quashed the dialogue forward of the Test.
And Smith, who has been imprecise on his long-term plans, stated he had no fast plans to attract curtains on his profession both.
“I’m not retiring,” Smith stated,
“No idea (where it came from), because I haven’t said it to anyone, so nobody not going anywhere yet.”
Smith made 71 on Friday to assist Australia to a 12-run first innings lead. Smith lamented an absence of assist from his fellow bitters.
“I think we’ve probably had the better of the conditions to bat in I think for this game, we won the toss,” Smith stated.
“We had an opportunity to bowl when there was a bit in it yesterday. Bowled them out and overnight 1 for 60 going along nicely. And the wicket playing the way it did today. There wasn’t a great deal of sideways off the wicket, swung around most of the day to be fair, and they are obviously very good swing bowlers.
“But yeah, I think a lot of us got starts. The scorecards are actually very similar, I suppose in a way. But yeah, a lot of us got starts and weren’t able to capitalise and go and put one of those partnerships that were 40 or 50 into 100 150 and that gives us a decent lead I suppose. So a bit disappointing from that aspect.”
Smith finally fell attempting to up the ante with the tail, departing by way of a miscued pull off Chris Woakes.
“Did I pull the trigger too early, maybe? But then had I not got out Murph (Todd Murphy) might not have come in and smacked 30 like he did.
“I would have liked a few more partners. Maybe to stick around and able to sort of just play normally for a while. I suppose. But yeah, I would have liked more runs of course.”
Originally printed as Ashes cricket 2023: Follow the motion dwell from day three of the fifth Test
Source: www.news.com.au
