'It Was So Un-Smith Like...'- Mark Taylor On Steve Smith's Rare Failure

image-ljwzwftzSteve Smith heads back after getting dismissed by Moeen Ali [Image- Twitter]

Former Australian captain Mark Taylor has expressed his disappointment at Steven Smith's performance in his 100th game in the recently concluded Headingley Test. Smith's landmark game turned out to be an anti-climax for his fans as he managed just 22 & 2 across both innings.

The right-handed batsman nicked off to Stuart Broad in the 1st dig, before throwing his wicket away in a very uncharacteristic fashion to Moeen Ali in the 2nd.

His dismissal in the 2nd innings- where he flicked a harmless delivery straight to short mid-wicket- sent shockwaves among fans and pundits, and Taylor too echoed the same sentiments

Smith scored a brilliant match-winning century in the first innings of the Lord's Test, but apart from that, he has been guilty of throwing away his starts, which he never really used to do in his prime.

Taylor alluded to the same, adding that the top-order needs to convert their starts into daddy hundreds to set-up the game for the visitors.

Speaking to Channel Nine, Mark Taylor said:

"Smith was disappointing in his 100th Test, scoring no real runs. His second innings dismissal was a shock to all of us because it was so un-Smith like, but caught well as he always does. "He got a couple of starts, but like all of the batsmen, needs to start turning these 30s and 40s in to big scores. He knows that, and we all know Test match cricket is won by blokes making big hundreds, not 30s and 40s. He didn't have a bad game, but need more from the top three batters to get big totals."

Australia went down in Leeds thanks to their poor batting display in both innings and abject field placements and bowling performance against the English lower-order.

The reigning WTC champs are still 2-1 up in the Ashes, and they will look to fight back when they take the field at Old Trafford next week.

As for Smith, he will look to do an encore of what he did in Manchester four years ago- score a daddy hundred and set-up the game for his team.