Aussie cricket star Steve Smith has once again found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reason thanks to accusations of unsportsmanlike behaviour on the final day of yesterday’s thrilling Test against India.
Smith, who had already made headlines in the Test for his return to form with the bat, undid all that hard work during the drinks break in the morning session of yesterday’s match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Smith was spotted on the stumps camera shadow batting near the crease before his true intentions were revealed.
Before returning to the field, Smith scraped his foot through the guard markings Rishabh Pant had made, forcing the Indian batsman to take guard once again – a move that wasted Pant’s time as he looked to carry India to an unlikely win.
Smith was infamously banned back in 2018 alongside teammate David Warner for their roles in the ball-tampering scandal during a Test in South Africa which also resulted in the batsman being stripped of the captaincy.
Unlike then, Smith’s actions this time around fell within the laws of cricket as the scuff marks weren’t made in the danger zones of the pitch, however it was still met with plenty of criticism.
The move didn’t appear to affect Pant, who went on to reach 97 while India was chasing 407 runs for a win.
Pant’s dismissal along with Pujara’s wicket for 77 runs, saw India change tactics late in the day though.
They defended their way to a draw leaving the final Test in Brisbane to decide the series with it currently tied at 1-1.
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