Steve Smith is arguably the best Test batsman the world has ever seen after Sir Don Bradman. But such is the unpredictability of sport, that even the best cannot remain in the same, sublime form. Smith departed for 38 in the third and final Test against Pakistan at the SCG, which meant, his failures from 2023 continued in 2024.
It is not just Pakistan’s Babar Azam, but Smith is there to give him company. Both are going through forgettable patches at the moment in their careers.
Steve Smith, Way Below his Usual Best
Even though Smith has an exceptional record in Tests — 9510 runs in 105 Tests, at an average of 57.98, but this has come dramatically down in the last one year, where he used to average close to 62. In 2023, in the 13 Tests he played, he managed to score 929 runs at an average of 42, including three tons. This is way below the high standards he sets.
What makes it even worse for him is that he has just three fifth-plus scores in the last 10 innings, while his last Test ton came in June 2023, against England at Lord’s. All this, after getting starts in most of these innings.
Babar Azam, Even Worse
Last year, Babar scored only 204 runs in nine innings of five Tests he played. He averaged 26.66 in them with no fifty coming his way. In fact, his last fifty-plus score came in December 2022, when he scored 161 against New Zealand at Karachi.
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