NEW DELHI: Premier Australian batter Steve Smith has disclosed that he played the majority of the Ashes series with an injury to his wrist sustained during the Lord’s Test.
While scoring a match-winning 110 in the first innings of the second Test at Lord’s, the 34-year-old tore a tendon in his left wrist.
“I did it at Lord’s. I don’t actually know the moment, it was when we were in the field. It wasn’t until that night I was like, ‘Geez, what have I done here, it’s a bit sore’,” Smith told ‘Fox Cricket’.
“I played the next game and then I had a cortisone before Old Trafford. I got back (to Australia) and I was like, ‘Still not quite right. I still can’t do a lot of things properly’.
“I had another scan. There was a small tear in the tendon as well as a couple of other things.”
Australia appeared on track to win the Ashes series in England for the first time since 2001 after winning the first two Test matches. The hosts, however, pulled off a spectacular comeback to draw the series.
Despite retaining the Ashes, Smith said “overall it was a bit disappointing.”
“I thought we probably had all the tools in the kit bag to go ever there and win, and we weren’t satisfied with drawing the series again. Obviously we did that last time.”
“We wanted to win and do one better, and we weren’t able to do that.”
Smith will not participate in the forthcoming white-ball tour of South Africa due to the injury, which will necessitate him to wear a splint for the following few weeks.
Smith was supposed to open the batting in the T20 leg in South Africa despite playing in just one game during the previous T20 World Cup.
During the Big Bash League season last year, he was in great form for the Sydney Sixers.
In anticipation of the T20 World Cup next year, the former captain had hoped to secure his place in the shortest format.
“I did speak to (Australian coach) Andrew McDonald about it. He said I’d get more opportunities somewhere to press my case. It’s kind of the dream job. Everyone wants to open the batting in T20s.
“There’s not much accountability there, you just sort of go out there and play. You’ve got two fielders out for the first six overs, and if you get going then you’re already in when the field goes out, so it’s a nice time to bat.”
(With PTI inputs)
While scoring a match-winning 110 in the first innings of the second Test at Lord’s, the 34-year-old tore a tendon in his left wrist.
“I did it at Lord’s. I don’t actually know the moment, it was when we were in the field. It wasn’t until that night I was like, ‘Geez, what have I done here, it’s a bit sore’,” Smith told ‘Fox Cricket’.
“I played the next game and then I had a cortisone before Old Trafford. I got back (to Australia) and I was like, ‘Still not quite right. I still can’t do a lot of things properly’.
“I had another scan. There was a small tear in the tendon as well as a couple of other things.”
Australia appeared on track to win the Ashes series in England for the first time since 2001 after winning the first two Test matches. The hosts, however, pulled off a spectacular comeback to draw the series.
Despite retaining the Ashes, Smith said “overall it was a bit disappointing.”
“I thought we probably had all the tools in the kit bag to go ever there and win, and we weren’t satisfied with drawing the series again. Obviously we did that last time.”
“We wanted to win and do one better, and we weren’t able to do that.”
Smith will not participate in the forthcoming white-ball tour of South Africa due to the injury, which will necessitate him to wear a splint for the following few weeks.
Smith was supposed to open the batting in the T20 leg in South Africa despite playing in just one game during the previous T20 World Cup.
During the Big Bash League season last year, he was in great form for the Sydney Sixers.
In anticipation of the T20 World Cup next year, the former captain had hoped to secure his place in the shortest format.
“I did speak to (Australian coach) Andrew McDonald about it. He said I’d get more opportunities somewhere to press my case. It’s kind of the dream job. Everyone wants to open the batting in T20s.
“There’s not much accountability there, you just sort of go out there and play. You’ve got two fielders out for the first six overs, and if you get going then you’re already in when the field goes out, so it’s a nice time to bat.”
(With PTI inputs)
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