WTC Final: Steve Smith embarrassed at being dismissed by part-timer Aiden Markram
Steve Smith was not pleased with his dismissal against Aiden Markram on Day 1 of the World Test Championship (WTC) final 2025, after putting in yet another impressive performance at Lord's against South Africa.The premier batter ended up scoring a crucial 66 off 112 deliveries. His knock, laced with 10 boundaries, put the Aussies back in the contest after the top-order failed to provide a start. Despite looking set for yet another big score at the venue, he ended up being dismissed by the part-time bowler, Aiden Markram, in the 42nd over.advertisementLooking to drive a tossed-up delivery, Smith ended up getting the edge, which carried to the slip fielder. Following the day's play, Smith was asked how he would approach the second innings, and the Aussie had a hilarious response in the press conference."Don't nick the part-time off-spinner. Down the slope. I'm still trying to fathom how I've done that. But yeah, don't do that. And then, no, I don't know. Just play what's in front of us," Smith commented.Speaking on the conditions in the coming days, Smith reckons that the surface could dry up a bit more, with the bounce fluctuating a bit as well. He hopes that the Australian side can get a few more wickets on the second day to put them in the driver's seat to retain the WTC title."It might take a bit more spin as the game wears on. It's pretty dry. I don't know, the seam might go down as the game goes on as well, potentially. So, I think the bounce is going to be variable throughout the game, as we've seen already on day one. So, just play what's in front of us," he shared."And, yeah, hopefully we can get a few early ones in the morning and sort of go through them and have a bit of a lead. That's the ideal scenario for us right now," he added.With four wickets already taken, Australia are on top in the contest at the end of the opening day. But South Africa is known to showcase resilience and is desperate to have their first major Test crown. But, they will have a tough task of dethroning the Aussies, who are known to be tough opposition in the big games.
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