Chanderpaul reviews Smith's new look (Source: @codecricketau/x.com)
The Ashes is back with another chaos-filled chapter, and all eyes now shift to a high-stakes pink-ball showdown in the second Test. As both sides are sweating hard ahead of the clash, Australian captain Steve Smith’s special look has grabbed attention.
After Smith donned the special ‘eye black’ look, the cricket world remembered the Caribbean star Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was famous for the look. And when Smith texted the Caribbean legend for approval, Chanderpaul hilariously warned him that he’s been wearing it completely wrong.
Smith’s eye black gets brutally honest review from Chanderpaul
After a historic victory in the first Test of the Ashes, Australia has shifted its focus to the next match. The second Test of the ongoing Ashes is set to be a little more exciting, as it is a day-night match. As both rivals are practicing hard before stepping into the pink-ball format, Steve Smith’s Chanderpaul-inspired look grabbed the attention.
Caribbean batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul used to wear the iconic eye-black to deal with the glare, and Smith has followed suit. As his new look has stunned fans, Smith spilled the beans on a hilarious chat he had with Chanderpaul about it.
“I actually messaged Shivnarine Chanderpaul and asked him what his thoughts were on whether he wore the chalk or the strips. He said the strips, and he thinks it blocks out 65% of the glare,” he said.
After all the technical conversation, Chanderpaul’s hilarious comment on Smith’s eye black grabbed the attention. During the conversation with the reporters, he revealed that Caribbean legend basically roasted him, saying he’s been wearing the eye-black completely wrong.
“He also said, ‘I’ve seen photos, and you are wearing them in the wrong way’. So yesterday I put them on the right way,” he added.
Pink-ball battle turns up the heat on England
Dazzling on the home soil, the Australian side gave a dreamy start to their Ashes campaign, but the visitors faced a massive setback. An 8-wicket defeat in the first match pushed England into a huge slump. Now, with a high-stakes pink-ball clash on the horizon, the pressure is mounting in the English camp like never before.
With 13 victories in 14 pink-ball Tests, Australia is riding at the top; England's past record in the format is pushing on them. Adding to their woes, the visitors haven’t won at the Gabba since 1986, making the challenge even tougher. As there are no final words in cricket before the final ball is bowled in a match, fans are waiting for a gripping contest between the arch-rivals.
