Steve Smith, 66, on Australia fightback on first day of World test final
11/06/2025
Lord's Cricket ground, London, UK
11/06/2025
Lord's Cricket ground, London, UK
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Steve, how do you think you're placed after a pretty eventful first day?
00:05I think we're in a good spot. We've probably had a few missed opportunities with the bat to try and get a bigger total,
00:15but I think the wickets offered something all day, as we've seen.
00:19And we're in a pretty good position, 169 in front. What are they? Four down.
00:25So yeah, we're in a decent spot. Hopefully it does a little bit in the morning like it did today.
00:31Could have been a better day, but we're still in a nice position.
00:36How did it feel out there for you personally after a bit of a break?
00:40Felt good. Yeah, felt in a nice place. Yeah, I love batting here at Lourdes.
00:46Yeah, enjoyed my time out there while I was out there and left a few in the shed, unfortunately.
00:52Steve, do you know if you guys were going to bat first or bowl first?
00:57Yeah, I think we were going to bat.
00:59The way the wicket played, it looked like you guys came out a bit more intent after lunch
01:03and sort of a few more shots flown. Is that sort of the way to go on that?
01:07And how did you sort of see the wicket, I guess?
01:11It didn't feel like it had more intent. It was more just, I think we got a few more loose balls that we could put away.
01:18Yeah, it felt quite tricky. The wicket felt like it was doing enough all day.
01:23A little bit too paced, probably a little bit on the slower side and then one kind of zinged through if that makes sense to you.
01:29But, yeah, it offered something all day, I think, even with the older ball, the last few wickets that Rabada got.
01:37It felt like when I got out, it got a little bit softer, but it still offered something at that point.
01:42So, yeah, hopefully it's the same in the morning.
01:45Steve, what have you made of the way that Bo Webster's attacked his opportunity in the team and the way he batted today?
01:51I mean, he's done a terrific job. I think he was pretty annoyed at his first 30 balls today.
01:57Didn't feel like he could spell bat for a little bit there, but, you know, things can turn around really quickly in England.
02:02And I think playing in England actually suits him. The way he scores these runs, he scores really square of the wicket.
02:09So when the ball's swinging around, it suits him. He gets it on the top of the bounce, being tall.
02:14And, yeah, like I said, he defends nice and straight and scores really square, which I think is a good trade in England.
02:20And did you have a good look at the LBW appeal that they sort of had against him that they didn't review?
02:29Were you surprised they didn't?
02:31I heard it was out. Is that right? Yeah. It looked pretty good to me from the other end.
02:36I don't know what actually happened there. I know Bo was in a little bit of pain.
02:40I don't think it actually hit his pad. I think it just hit his leg.
02:45Someone said they saw a rubata shape to say he might have hit it.
02:50Certainly didn't look like that from my view. But, yeah, I was surprised they didn't appeal more.
02:56I don't think many people really went up, to be honest. Where I was, I was like, geez, that looks pretty good.
03:01But they, yeah, they had a chance to use a referral and didn't.
03:08Put your hand right up and I see you.
03:12So, what did, what was the discussion after you were out, before you went out to bowl?
03:16Did you have a chat? Was there a bit of a, Pat, give some words before you went back out to bowl?
03:21Just to keep it simple. Just try and hit good areas for long periods and, yeah, hit the top of the stumps, I think.
03:28Excuse me.
03:33Oh, dear.
03:35There's been a, yeah, obviously there was a bit on offer.
03:38A little bit of variable bounce as we saw.
03:40You know, we were standing really close at slip.
03:43And we had a couple still not get to us.
03:45So, a little bit of variable bounce and a bit of sideways movement.
03:49So, yeah, it was, I was basically just keep it really simple.
03:52Hit the top of the stumps and challenge the defence.
03:55Steve, just a word on Rabada. You've faced him quite a lot.
03:59This might sound strange, but what makes him good?
04:02Because he's not particularly fast. He doesn't really move it around.
04:05He doesn't really have like something like unique about him.
04:07But he obviously gets a lot of wickets and he's very good.
04:09What is it about him?
04:11I wouldn't say he doesn't move it around.
04:13Yeah, I think he's got good skills.
04:15He, yeah, he can shape the ball away.
04:17He can nibble it both ways.
04:19He's relentless. He's always at you.
04:22You know, he's always up for the challenge.
04:24He charges in all day and, you know, his record speaks for itself, doesn't it?
04:29He's a quality bowler and showed that again today.
04:32Steve, is there anything you learnt from your lesson today that you might do differently
04:38in the second innings when you get a bat in the second innings?
04:42Don't nick the part-time off spinner.
04:44Down the slope. I'm still trying to fathom how I've done that.
04:50But, yeah, don't do that.
04:54And then, nah, I don't know.
04:56Just play what's in front of us.
04:58You know, it might take a bit more spin as the game wears on.
05:00It's pretty dry.
05:02I don't know. The seam might go down as the game goes on as well, potentially.
05:06So, I think the bounce is going to be variable throughout the game as we've seen already on day one.
05:12So, nah, just play what's in front of us.
05:15And, yeah, hopefully we can get a few early ones in the morning and sort of go through them and have a bit of a lead.
05:22That's the ideal scenario for us right now.
05:25Steve, last time you were here for a Test match, obviously you came up against a batting side that came at you a little bit harder than perhaps happened today.
05:33Were you surprised by how South Africa let you guys bowl to them a bit in the way they did?
05:39I thought the guys bowled pretty well, to be fair.
05:42It's not the easiest surface to just come out and try and wallop it either.
05:45You know, I think the couple of times we actually went at it and tried to drive the ball, we got the edges.
05:52So, a couple of them played quite nicely when they were late and defending under their eyes.
05:57It was pretty, you know, difficult to get out, I suppose, for them at that stage.
06:02So, yeah, it's the kind of wicket, I think, where you've got to be solid in defence and then when you get a loose ball, pounce on it.
06:09That's key. So, nah, the boys bowled really well tonight.
06:13In terms of how the ball, do you sense it's going softer?
06:18Obviously, you guys had a tough time at the top of your innings getting through it.
06:21Do you think getting through the first 20-odd overs makes a big difference?
06:26Yeah, what are we at? 20-something right now?
06:30I'd say probably 40 maybe it gets a bit softer.
06:33It's kind of general in every game, almost, that we play.
06:38Particularly because the surface is a little bit abrasive as well.
06:41But, even when it got soft, Bo was out there at that stage and he said it was still offering something as well.
06:48So, you know, that might change as the game goes on.
06:51But, yeah, it was a day one wicket. But, we'll see.
06:56Steve, it probably feels like a long time ago, but Marnus in the opening role, how do you alter his expectations given the trigginess of the conditions?
07:08And what was the sort of pass mark for him in that role today?
07:11I thought he started pretty well today. He looked really sharp in his movements.
07:17He left really nicely. He was solid in defence and he played some really good shots.
07:21So, yeah, I think, yeah, it would have been nice to have gone on and made a few more, as it would have been for all of us out there.
07:28But, yeah, I think we can take some positives on the way he was moving and the way he was playing.
07:35Steve, were you guys surprised at all, I guess, the way the surface played relative to how it looked?
07:44You know, it looked pretty, I guess, straw coloured, but were you expecting it to do a bit before the game?
07:52I feel day one here, it always offers a little bit of something, even when it looks, you know, the colour of the wicket was quite white.
08:00It wasn't a green wicket, I suppose, that you see.
08:03But, you know, I've seen one day wickets we've played here where it's been similar and it's actually seemed quite a bit, particularly with the newer ball.
08:11So, I always feel like it offers something, particularly early on in the game.
08:18As the grass dies down, I think it's going to offer less, but I wasn't too surprised that it was offering what it did.
08:24I thought it would be pretty slow, given how dry it looked.
08:27Yeah, it kind of played as I thought it would, in a way.
08:33Steve, Alex Carey would have been disappointed with that drop catch.
08:36Was there anything, sort of, do you think that happened there that, I guess, threw him out of his normal position for catching that?
08:45And how did he kind of react afterwards? Because I suppose it's not an easy thing.
08:49Yeah, he was fine after. I think it was just one of those ones that just swung a little bit on him, which can happen with the Duke's ball.
08:55You know, you quite often see the ball go past the bat and it's swing late.
08:59It was one of those ones that just swung a little bit on him and got himself in a bit of an awkward position with where it got to at his chest, I suppose.
09:07Yeah, it's a tricky place to catch behind the wicket sometimes when the ball does that.
09:12And, you know, he's been keeping so well the last two years.
09:16So, you know, we're all allowed to drop him every now and again.
09:19Steve, just obviously, you know, when you talk about Mitch, Pat and Josh, do you know how good they are?
09:26They proved it over a long time.
09:27But just the fact that at this stage of their career, they are able to bowl 6-7 over spells on warmish days and keep that intensity up.
09:35Like, what kind of a luxury is that, especially on a day where probably you didn't get the kind of total you wanted?
09:40Yeah, they've done it for a long time, haven't they?
09:43And, yeah, today was no different. I thought they all bowled really nicely.
09:47You know, when you know you've only got a couple of hours to bowl in the night, you can probably give a little bit more knowing you can have a break afterwards.
09:57And the boys bowled a couple of long spells.
10:00You know, it wasn't too warm out there. So that was nice. It was a pretty good temperature, which always helps.
10:05But, yeah, they keep coming again and again. And, you know, I've done it for a long time.
10:10And, you know, I looked up today and kind of forget every now and again Stark.
10:15He's played 97 tests, this one, which is a hell of an effort for a fast bowler.
10:21You know, he's just relentless with his body. And, you know, he's a tough character.
10:26He bowls through a lot of pain and things like that. So, yeah, the three have been great.
10:31And hopefully they can come again in the morning and make a few early inroads.
10:36Great. Thank you very much.