Steve Smith backed for Lord's assault after staggering detail
The duo were well below their best in the first Ashes test.
Australian captain Pat Cummins has backed Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to bounce back from their poor performance to shine in the second Ashes test after reports the Aussie No.4 has been working extra hard in the nets. Australia took a 1-0 lead against England heading into the second test at Lord's with captain Cummins leading his nation to victory with some heroics on the final day.
Cummins and his men are heading into the second test with their tails up, knowing a victory would be a huge step towards winning their first Ashes series in England since 2005. And the Aussie cricket captain has also sent a warning to the English ahead of their clash in London.
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Smith scored a century in the Test Championship final to further cement his legacy as the best test batter of his generation in all conditions. However, Smith and Labuschagne both struggled in the first Ashes test on a rather flat wicket.
Labuschagne opened his Ashes account with a duck off Stuart Broad's swinging delivery, before scoring just 13 runs in the second innings. The duo have also been spotted in every available nets session leading up to the second test at Lord's as they work to correct their mistakes. Smith was also the last to leave as he attempted to find his rhythm.
This has prompted Cummins to admit the Aussies were not at their best for the first test against England and sent a warning that the star batting duo will be ready to fire at the 'Home of Cricket'.
"History would suggest that Marnus and Smithy rarely miss out," Cummins said. "I am expecting a big week from them. Same from the other guys who maybe didn't have their best week.
"I don't think we played a complete game last week by a long shot. That's one of the most pleasing things is we weren't at our best, but still managed to get over the line."
Ben Stokes wary of Smith and Labuschagne resistance
Cummins isn't the only one aware Smith and Labuschagne will be ready to bounce back after a poor showing. England captain Ben Stokes admitted it was always good seeing the back of the two premier batters during the Ashes.
However, he is aware the job isn't complete and the duo will be dangerous right up until the final test match in the series. "Cricket's a fickle game sometimes. He was the No.1 batter in the world then Broady nicks him off twice," Stokes said ahead of Lord's.
Steve Smith was the last Aussie to leave the nets for the first time in a long time but he’d by then “welcomed back” the best version of himself around the same time Marnus Labuschagne had found his perfect setup in the crease. England be warned #Ashes https://t.co/B8mKqoz5vW
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) June 27, 2023
"Players like that don't miss out too often. Broady produced two unbelievable deliveries and it's always great to see the back of Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith early but quality players always find a way to bounce back. We won't be reading too much into it but it's nice knowing there might be something there for Marnus."
England named their line-up 24 hours before the toss for the second straight test with the host's opting for a four-man quick attack on the slightly greener wicket. Josh Tongue was brought into the line-up, despite many thinking Mark Wood might join the attack.
with AAP
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