From an average of 63-64 in Tests, the best after the Don Bradman era, his average has dropped to an alarming 57. Former Australia skipper Steve Smith is battling poor batting form, by his own lofty standards, in the last year-and-a-half, and the slide only continues.
In the first Test against New Zealand, that the Aussies won, the 34-year-old could only score 31 in the first innings, while he was out for a duck in the second. Now this inconsistency has started to show in his ranking points as well. As per a report in The West Australian, for the first time since 2014, Smith’s ranking points have dropped below 800.
Kiwi Kane Williamson sits on top of the ICC rankings for Test batsmen with 870 points, followed by Joe Root 789, while Smith is third with 789 points.
Downfall in 2023 & 2024
His last ton came 20 innings back, against England at Lord’s at the 2023 Ashes series, and since then there hasn’t been much to show for Smith. In fact, after the ton, in the next 19 innings he has only three fifties, with his highest being 91, against the West Indies in a losing cause.
His move at redeeming himself, to play as an opener, hasn’t been the most successful either, with him returning with scores of 12, 11, 6, 91, 31, and 0.
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