Steve Smith says he believes the First Test is evenly poised as Australian bowler James Pattinson broke through on day two of the First Test at Edgbaston.
With England starting the day at 0-10 and chasing Australia’s 284, Pattinson had England opener Jason Roy caught at second slip by Steve Smith for 10. England were on 1/22 in the seventh over.
Earlier Smith told Channel Nine it had been hard to bat on Thursday’s opening day. Smith’s fighting innings of 144 kept his side in the contest, and he predicted the key was to get wickets with the new ball.
“I think it is pretty even at the moment. I think we are going to have to make good use of the new ball,” he told Mark Taylor.
“I thought around the 50-over mark yesterday, the ball started to get a little bit softer and things got a little bit softer and things got a little bit easier. But up until then, it was really hard work.
“If you bowl good areas and hit the top of the stumps consistently and make the batsmen play, challenge their defences, that’s going to be really key for us.
Smith said his big innings helped him overcome the nightmare of the ball-tampering scandal.
“Oh, it meant a lot – obviously being out of the game for a while and just
keen to get back playing Test cricket and trying to, I guess, take off where I left off, and, yeah, yesterday was probably one of my best, if not my best knocks, I think.
“Under pressure, and I know how important the first Ashes Test is. So, to be able to claw things back and get ourselves in a somewhat reasonable position, yeah, really proud and happy.
Smith said he had worked hard ahead of the First Test to be at his best.
“I had some really long hits in the nets before this game, every day leading up, and I told the coaches, I said ‘just keep me going, I’ll get better and better’.
“At the start of the week, I felt really awful. I couldn’t find my hands and my feet weren’t moving well and each day I got better and better, and before the game, the day before, I said ‘I’m back’. I’m ready to go!
“Yesterday things worked out for me and I was able to get us in a good position.”
Smith also admitted hitting his century was something he would always cherish..
“As soon as I hit it, I saw Stuart Broad reaching across and when it went past him, I had a tingling in my spine and all the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
“It was like I was scoring my first 100 again. It was really special.”
The post The Ashes: Smith sees ‘even’ Test as Australia breaks through on day two appeared first on The New Daily.
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