Pak vs Aus: Missed hundred on 'dead' Rawalpindi wicket annoys Steve Smith

Steve Smith made 78 before falling to Nauman Ali's leg-side trap and perished caught behind

Reuters

March 07, 2022

Australias Steven Smith plays a shot during the fourth day play of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Australia at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on March 7, 2022. — AFP — Australia's Steven Smith plays a shot during the fourth day play of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Australia at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on March 7, 2022. — AFP

Steve Smith made 78 before falling to Nauman Ali's leg-side trap.
Smith feels his dismissal denied Australia opportunity to grab lead.
"I got a bit greedy there with the field they had set," Smith says.

ISLAMABAD: Australia run-machine Steve Smith was kicking himself after missing out on a hundred on a "dead" Rawalpindi wicket on Monday as the opening Test against Pakistan headed for a draw.

Each of Australia's top four batsmen passed the 50-mark but could not convert them into hundreds on a flat track which yielded 925 runs and 11 wickets over four days of a run-feast.

Smith made 78 before falling to Nauman Ali's leg-side trap and perished caught behind trying to sweep the left-arm spinner.

"Pretty annoying. I got a bit greedy there with the field they had set," the prolific batsman told reporters after Australia finished on 449-7 replying to Pakistan's 476-4 declared at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

"Disappointed. I'd worked pretty hard and got myself in a nice position to go on and get a big score. So disappointed with the shot selection," he added.

The prospect of a victory by any side evaporated after a wet outfield caused by overnight rain had wiped out the entire morning session on a penultimate day.

Smith felt his dismissal denied Australia an opportunity to grab the lead and push for victory on the final day.

"Perhaps if we were five (wickets) down we might have been able to push a little harder in the morning and potentially set something up..." the former captain said.

"You never know if you get a 100 lead what can happen so, yeah, a bit disappointing."

Asked for his view of the pitch, which has drawn criticism for an unfair contest between bat and ball, Smith called it a "benign" surface.

"There's not a great deal of pace and bounce in it for the seamers. I think the spinners have offered a little bit," the 32-year-old said.

"I thought it would break up a little bit more and probably turn a bit more from the start, but it probably hasn't done so.

"Pretty benign, dead wicket."