Former Australia captain Steve Smith got the better of India's Shubman Gill after a sledging battle on the opening day of the fifth Test between the two teams. Shubman Gill tried to skate Steve Smith, but it backfired immediately as the Indian top-order batsman ended up throwing the wicket away.
India won the toss and elected to play at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday, January 3. The visitors made two changes to their line-up, with Shubman Gill replacing Rohit Sharma, while Prasidh Krishna came in for the injured Akash Deb. Australia chose debutant Beau Webster instead of Mitchell Marsh.
Shubman Gill bowls the wicket away before the lunch break on the first day
Australia had a strong opening session on the first day of the match, reducing India to 17/2. KL KL (4) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) both fell early against the Australia side in overcast conditions. However, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli started rebuilding the innings but faced relentless pressure from the Australian bowlers.
Just before lunch, Nathan Lyon was brought into the attack. Gill, who was aiming to last until the lunch break, changed his approach in the final. He tried to step off the wicket but edged a delivery to Steve Smith at first slip. Smith celebrated lively and exchanged words with Jill.
Watch: This is the bull****! Oi, Let's Play – Steve Smith by Shubman Gill
Replays revealed a verbal exchange between Smith and Gill just before the latter's dismissal. Gill took extra time by tending to the court, prompting Smith to say, “Oi, let's play.” Gill responded quickly but was dismissed on the next ball.
The conversation between Smith and Gill has gone viral on social media. One user took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the clip.
– Haddad (@stevesmith50) January 3, 2025
Take a look at the brief interaction here:
Marnus Labuschagne: “Easy, easy got it!” He should call for “twisting”
Steve Smith: “That's bull****! Oi, let's play!”
Shubman Gill: “Take your time, Smithy, no one is telling you anything!”
Smith: “Just play, buddy. Let's play.”
Labuschagne: “Take your time, son.”
Maybe it was in our favor – Steve Smith
Speaking to Fox Cricket's Isa Guha during the lunch break on day one, Steve Smith spoke about the dialogue with Shubman Gill. Smith stated that Gill's attempt to take his time may actually have been beneficial for Australia.
“Schoopman is trying to take his time out there (and) that might have been to our advantage. He decided to make a run in the last round, and I think he was trying to launch him (Lyon),” Smith said.
Shubman Gill missed the first Test with a thumb injury and was dropped from the XI after the fourth Test. The right-handed batsman has struggled with his form in this series. He has an average score of 20, and a high of 31, from four innings, with one more inning left this summer.
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