Steven Smith reflected on a missed opportunity that turned the game against India. Batting on 73 in the 37th over, he advanced toward Mohammed Shami but failed to connect with a full toss, losing his off stump. Australia, from that point, managed just 66 runs off the remaining 75 balls. While Alex Carey’s 61 off 57 helped, Smith’s dismissal was a pivotal moment.
“My plan was to put pressure on the seamers and rotate the strike against spin,” Smith said. “But I didn’t do it well. Losing my wicket at that stage was disappointing. If I had batted deeper, we could have reached close to 300.”
Australia posted only 265, which proved insufficient on one of the tournament’s best batting surfaces. Smith acknowledged that a few more extended partnerships could have taken them beyond 300, increasing scoreboard pressure.
“The pitch has seen a lot of cricket, and we haven’t had a 300-plus score here,” he noted. “We did a reasonable job, but lacked partnerships that could have stretched our total further.”
Australia’s fielding woes also hurt their chances. They dropped Rohit Sharma twice and missed a tough chance off Virat Kohli at 51.
“When defending 264, you need to take those chances,” Smith said. “No one drops a catch on purpose, but those moments make a difference.”
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