Australian cricket icon Steve Smith shares insights into his experience opening in Tests against West Indies, embracing a new role after David Warner’s retirement. Despite initial challenges with scores of 12, 11*, and 6, Smith’s resilience led to an impressive series, averaging 60 as an opener. He expresses readiness to adapt based on the team’s needs.

In admiration of West Indies’ young pace sensation Shamar Joseph, Smith recounts Joseph’s determination and stunning performance, contributing to West Indies’ memorable win. Reflecting on the narrow loss, Smith contemplates alternative strategies, acknowledging the risk involved.

Looking ahead, Smith gears up to lead Australia in the upcoming ODI series against West Indies, commencing at the MCG on Friday. This marks Australia’s return to the 50-over format since their World Cup triumph in India last November.

With the IPL 2024 season on the horizon, teams are gearing up to assemble their squads after the recent mini-auction. However, several seasoned cricketers who were part of the IPL in previous years will be notably absent from the dugouts this time around. InsideSport examines the top 3 cricketers who won’t feature in IPL 2024.

1. Steve Smith:
Steve Smith, a former standout in the IPL, faced an unexpected turn of events as he went unsold in the IPL 2024 auction. Despite amassing 2485 runs in 103 matches throughout his IPL career and playing for various franchises, Smith’s recent dip in T20 form and a base price of Rs 2 crore deterred teams from bidding for the Australian veteran.

2. Shakib Al Hasan:
Unlike Steve Smith, Shakib Al Hasan deliberately chose not to enter the IPL 2024 auction. The accomplished Bangladeshi all-rounder, with 793 runs and 63 wickets in 71 IPL matches, could have found suitors, but he opted to focus on his national career. Shakib’s decision, stemming from his political commitments, raises questions about his future IPL participation.

3. James Neesham:
New Zealand cricketer James Neesham, known for his utility skills, faced disappointment after going unsold in the IPL 2024 auction. Despite having the ability to contribute with both bat and ball, Neesham’s limited IPL appearances (12 matches) and modest performances led franchises to stay away from bidding for him in Dubai.

As teams prepare to finalize their lineups for IPL 2024, the absence of these experienced players adds an intriguing dimension to the upcoming season.

Heroes are created in the Ashes, which is commonly recognised as the greatest Test rivalry in cricket. An iconic rivalry in sports history, England against Australia is always a story for the headlines, and the stakes are usually higher when the two teams play in Test matches. Because of their achievements with the bat and the ball, a number of heroes and legends emerge from the Ashes. Here, we examine the top five batsmen to ever score most runs in a single Ashes series.

Sir Donald Bradman

Most people won’t be surprised that Sir Donald Bradman is ranked #1 on this list. When the Australians toured their fiercest enemies in 1930, not much had changed despite the renowned batsman’s constant presence as a pain in the side of the English bowlers since his debut against them. With an average of 139.14 at the end of the tour and four centuries along the road, Bradman was in imperious form, helping Australia overturn a 1-0 deficit and win the series 2-1. In the second and fifth Tests, he struck a crucial 254 and 232 to aid the tourists in victory. During the tour, he amassed two more tonnes: 131 in a defeat in the first Test and 334 in a draw in the third.

Wally Hammond

Australia’s bowling lineup was dominated by England’s great Wally Hammond during their 1928–1929 tour of Australia. With four centuries to his credit and an impressive tour average of 113.12, he helped England win the series 4-1. Hammond amassed massive tonnes; his first came at 251 during England’s opening innings of the second Test. In the opening innings of the third Test, he struck a double tonne, or 200, on his second century. After scoring 177 in the second innings and an undefeated 119 in the first, Hammond’s next two hundreds both came in the fourth Test.

Mark Taylor

The 1989 tour of England, the only six-match Ashes series on this list, was incredibly fruitful for Mark Taylor, who had only recently made his Australian debut. He recorded two hundreds and five fifties, including a tour-ending best of 219, and concluded with an average of 83.90. He was named Player of the Match in the fifth Test after scoring 219 thereafter scoring 136 in the first innings of that match. Taylor’s five fifties indicate that he was a consistent player throughout the tour, and Australia won both of the games in which he scored a century. After winning the second and fourth Tests as well, Australia went on to win the series 4-0.

Sir Donald Bradman

In the 1936–37 Ashes, England’s first trip of Australia since the notorious bodyline series, Bradman was the star of a 3-2 series win for the home team. During the series, Bradman amassed three century and a fifty at an average of ninety, which enabled his team to overcome a two-point deficit and win the series. Not surprisingly, he scored three tonnes throughout the hosts’ three victories in the third, fourth, and fifth Tests. In the third Test, he batted at number seven and scored 270. In the fourth Test, he struck a vital 212 in the second innings and managed 169 in the first over.

Steve Smith

Steve Smith’s heroics during the 2019 Ashes trip will live on in memory as the most recent series on the list. Making his Test return following a year-long ban for ball-tampering, Smith faced not just England’s potent bowling lineup but also an antagonistic audience that was eager to see him fall short. But Smith batted like a man possessed, averaging 110.57 with three tonnes and three fifties. He might have scored more runs, but a hit to the head from a Jofra Archer bouncer resulted in a concussion, forcing him to miss one Test. In the first Test match, Smith made 144 runs in the first innings and 142 in the second.