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After Ben Stokes led England to a miracle victory in the third Ashes Test there was heavy focus on whether Australia would be able to recover mentally.
Yet it was England who fell apart last night at Old Trafford.
Basic catches turfed, a wicket taken off a no ball and regular lazy fielding efforts – England were a rabble on Day 2 in Manchester as Australia took control of the fourth Test.
Rookie England quick Jofra Archer claimed this week that Australia “panicked” and were complacent in the latter stages of the Leeds Test.
That second description perfectly fit some of his half-hearted fielding yesterday, efforts that were symptomatic of a surprisingly flat performance by England.
When Matt Wade lost his mind, charged down the pitch, tried to slog Jack Leach and skied a catch, Australia were 5-224 and in a vulnerable position on a good batting pitch. With the series locked at 1-1 you would have thought that gift of a wicket would have had England bouncing around in the field.
Not at all. Instead, they continued to look as if they were plodding along in first gear.
(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Stuart Broad aside, none of their quicks were anywhere near their best. When the in-form veteran seamer drew a regulation edge from the blade of Tim Paine, who was on nine, Jason Roy dropped a dolly of a catch at second slip. Broad couldn’t hide his disgust.
Not long after Leach, who had bowled beautifully, had Smith caught at slip. At 6-273 England were well in the game. Or at least they should have been.
Replays showed Leach had over-stepped, an extraordinary error for a spin bowler to make, and Smith was recalled.
Then just before tea, Paine slapped a pull shot straight to mid-wicket where substitute fielder Sam Curran made a mess of an easy catch.
By that point, Paine and Smith had already made England pay for their shoddy efforts. That pair put on what may be a series-defining stand of 145.
Smith, right now, is batting on such a rare level that he just needs his partner to stick around. They need not do much more than occupy the crease while he drives England to madness with his run hoarding.
Paine may have only made 58, but in batting for three hours he let Smith indulge his genius and ensured England’s torment was extended.
Paine has had a horror series with the bat. It must be said, though, that he didn’t just stick to the crease yesterday, he in fact looked in better nick than he has for almost a year.
His defence was granite solid, his running between the wickets was sharp and he timed the ball nicely.
If Paine can rediscover the wonderful batting form he displayed in the last Ashes, and the subsequent Test tour of South Africa, it will go a long way to helping Australia retain the Ashes. What he and Smith did yesterday was put Australia into a commanding position from which it will be very difficult for them to lose this Test.
I’m not sure what to write about Smith. Is there anything that hasn’t yet been stated? Is there any new angle from which to direct praise?
I’ve long cringed at the ‘best since Bradman’ tag some have given him. It seemed premature for Smith to have leapfrogged the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and Garry Sobers.
(Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
In this Ashes, though, Smith has batted at a level that has rarely ever been witnessed in England. This has been a low-scoring series with a helpful Dukes ball and involving two very good attacks. Yet Smith has peeled off runs with such ease that it’s hard to fathom.
To have done so after 16 months out of Test cricket, in front of crowds abusing him and baying for him to fail, makes his performance all the more remarkable. Smith’s imperious knock of 211 last night gives him 589 runs from just four innings in this Ashes. Truly gobsmacking.
Meanwhile, Smith’s Test record sits at 6788 runs at 64.6, with a remarkable 26 tons from just 67 matches.
In helping Australia to a massive total last night, Smith has heaped pressure on England. The home side have exceeded 260 just twice in six innings so far in this series.
England will now have to bat with the knowledge that victory is the most distant of goals. That is due to the mind-bending brilliance of Smith and, to a lesser extent, the support offered by skipper Paine.
Australia, once more in this series, have rebounded in impressive fashion.