Steve Smith has been one of the best batsmen in the past 5 years or so in the Test format and his no.1 ranking in Tests shows the same. However, he has struggled to find a way to make runs against the Indian bowlers in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series.
He has scores of 1,1*,0, and even in the second innings of the ongoing Boxing Day Test at the MCG, he found making runs tough against Bumrah, Siraj, Ashwin, and Jadeja. In the first innings, he was out for a duck, after lobbing a catch to Cheteshwar Pujara at leg gully off the bowling of Ashwin.
In the second innings, he struggled for 30 balls, making 8 runs, before Jasprit Bumrah managed to bowl an in dipper that bowled the Australian batting genius around his legs.
Smith walked across in his stumps to a delivery of Bumrah which came back in sharply from the off stump. It hit his pads and then clipped the top of his leg stump, leaving Smith confused. The former Australia skipper stood his ground until replays confirmed that the ball had indeed clipped the leg stump.
Here is the dismissal:
This was the first time Bumrah dismissed Smith in Test cricket.
The last time Smith had a run of 4 consecutive innings in single-digit score was in Ashes 2015. 7, 8, 6 & 5 at Birmingham and Nottingham.
India picked up three wickets in the final session despite Umesh Yadav leaving the field after bowling 3.3 overs complaining of pain his calf muscle. Australia finished day 3 on 133/6 with a lead of 2 runs and 4 wickets in hand.
