Momentum swung back and forth during the second Twenty20 International between Sri Lanka and Australia on Sunday (February 13). The high-octane match went down to the wire and ended in a stalemate. After that, it was a super over, with the Aussies emerging victorious. Meanwhile, one of the game’s highlights was Steve Smith’s acrobatic attempt to save a six, which led to his elimination from the series.
It was the fourth delivery of Sri Lanka’s 20th over, and Maheesh Theekshana was the batter on strike. Marcus Stoinis’s length delivery lit up Theekshana’s eyes as he smashed it towards the deep mid-wicket boundary. Six was written all over the shot, but Smith did everything he could to avoid it. He jumped full length, attempting to keep the ball within the ropes.
He was, however, unsuccessful, as the playback revealed that his foot had touched the rope before catching the ball and returning it to the field. Smith nastily crash-landed outside the ropes and bruised his head badly while landing, adding insult to injury for Australia. He was then removed from the game after suffering a concussion. Smith has been ruled out of the series, it was later revealed.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Cricket Australia (CA) has confirmed that Smith’s concussion has forced him to miss the remaining three matches of the series. Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood, who recorded figures of 3/22, said the 32-year-old is fine despite some internal concerns.
“(It) all happened pretty quickly out there on the field.” I suppose there is always some concern when someone dives and does not immediately get up. “It’s good to see him walking around now and that he got off the field,” Hazlewood said after the game.
Meanwhile, Smith thanked his fans and well-wishers for their congratulations on social media on Monday. “Many thanks to everyone who has contacted me. “My head feels better now, but I’ll be fine,” he wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, Australia has a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, and a win in the following game will put the series out of reach.