"Freak of nature": World reacts to Aussie cricket star Steve Smith's dream comeback
The cricketing world couldn’t do much apart from watch on as Steve Smith single-handedly saved Australia’s first innings with an amazing 144 out of a total of 284 in the Ashes test.
It’s clear that the 30-year-old wanted to make up for lost time after his ball tampering scandal and backed it up with another 142 in the second innings, scoring 142.
His amazing performance means that England needs 398 to win after the Aussies declared at 7/487.
It’s a feat that not even Donald Bradman himself could achieve after scoring two centuries in an Ashes test in England. Smith is very pleased with his performance.
“It was a dream comeback in a way,” Smith said. “To be able to score two hundreds in a match in the first Ashes Test match — it’s something I’ve never done in any form of cricket in my life so it’s incredibly special and special to be able to put us in the position we’re in now going into day five.
“I wasn’t hitting the ball as well as I would have liked at the start of the week and made sure I put in the hours to find my rhythm and my groove.
“Going into day one I felt in a really good place and was ready to go out and play so ... just pleased to have done what I’ve achieved over the last four days and being able to put the team in a really good position going into the last day.
“I’m over the moon, it’s what dreams are made of.”
Cricket fans across the world were in awe of what Smith has been able to achieve, with fans pleased with his performance.
Fair to say Steve Smith enjoyed his comeback 💯 #Ashes pic.twitter.com/1irvW2AKjh
— ICC (@ICC) 1 August 2019
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has said that Smith is a "freak of nature".
"Steve Smith is a freak of nature. If England can remove him, they will go on to win the match. If he bats for another hour, England could be chasing 180-plus. And that's where I get nervous," Vaughan told Test Match Special.
"Steve Smith has frazzled England in only his second innings of the series," Vaughan continued.
"He's a freak of nature, he reads the ball and the field so well."