Long before Steve Smith, the batter dominated cricket discussions; his fielding had amazed critics, experts, and fans. On the third day of the first Test between South Africa and Australia, spectators got another glimpse of Smith’s fielding brilliance.
He has already taken three stunning catches on Day 3. The first was to dismiss Temba Bavuma, the 220th catch of Smith’s Test career.
Bavuma’s catch was an example of Smith’s remarkable anticipation, reflexes and presence of mind. Bavuma was looking to go for a reverse sweep. Smith had already started moving before the shot was played. That allowed him to be in the perfect position when the catch arrived, and Smith seldom drops such chances. It was the 64th time that Smith had taken a catch off Nathan Lyon’s bowling, a highly successful partnership for the Aussies.
The 221st catch of Smith’s career came off Cummins’s bowling. Cummins bowled a back-of-a-length ball on the off-stump line that bounced a bit awkwardly. David Bedingham pushed at the ball with minimal foot movement, and it flew off his outside edge towards the gap between the first and second slip. Smith was quick to react, as he dived to his left and took a stunner. And with that, he became the player with the most catches in Test as a non-wicketkeeper. Smith now tops an illustrious list that includes Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Mark Waugh, names thathave defined slip catching over the years.
Smith did not stop after that second catch. The sharpest catch came off Lyon’s bowling to dismiss Verreynne. Once more, another batter tried to play a reverse sweep. This time, the ball connected with the bat better, and Smith had little time to react. He dived to his right and took a one-handed stunner, showcasing his extraordinary dexterity. Even Marnus Labuschagne was left amazed by the effort. His voice could be heard on the stump mic after the catch, saying, “Oh my God!!! Smudge. Oh my God!!!”
Australia take control after Matt Renshaw’s 190
Talking about the match, Matt Renshaw carried Australia’s batting effort. At one stage, they were struggling at 124/6. But Renshaw put on a resolute show and, along with the lower order of the team, guided Australia towards a formidable total. While Renshaw’s innings ended at 190, Australia managed to post 390 runs on the board.
South Africa lost Rickelton early in their innings. However, after that, Bedingham and Markram showed some resilience. But the Aussies came back with three wickets while conceding only 15 runs. Since then, even though South Africa have tried to fight back, Australia have maintained a firm grip on the game.