Steven Smith tries to run the last batsman out to win a Test. He misses. Two balls later, India go on to win the match.
That was in Mohali, back in October 2010.
It was the closest Ricky Ponting came to winning a Test in India as captain.
He was standing at second slip when Smith tried to run out Pragyan Ojha. Back then, Smith was a mere substitute fielder running in from gully.
Though he only missed by centimetres, it was Australia’s last chance.
For what would ultimately prove to be the last time in a Test, VVS Laxman was Australia’s nemesis in a tight situation.
Six years later at the Gabba against Pakistan, Smith was in Ponting’s shoes, standing at second slip, worrying about what to do next.
Pakistan was only 40 runs away from a win, even if it was down to Yasir Shah and Rahat Ali. Yasir was showing the same tenacity that Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz had displayed, while Rahat was not on strike.
Mitchell Starc only had one ball left in a successful over – Australia’s only successful over of the day.
If Yasir had managed to get off strike, Pakistan pulses would have settled slightly. If Yasir survived, then Josh Hazlewood or someone else would still have to get it right against Rahat.
The ball went off Yasir’s bottom outside edge to Smith at second slip.
Like Ojha six years ago, Yasir looked for an impossible run. In doing so, he presented Smith with the same opportunity: win the Test with one throw.
An easier throw, for a player almost unrecognisable because of his improvement from six years ago, but also a throw by a captain under pressure, and a player who had dropped two catches the previous day.
But every practice session over six years trumped the drops of the previous day and the captaincy pressure of today.
This time, Smith took the opportunity to win a Test with one throw.
Australia going 1-0 into the next match of the series despite superlative lower-order resistance.
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