Steven Smith's off glance
Plays from the IPL game between Chennai Super Kings and Pune Warriors in Chennai
Sidharth Monga
15-Apr-2013
You won't find this in the manual • BCCI
The shot
It is a reverse lap. It is a reverse flick. It is a reverse leg glance, or an off glance if you will. It is Steven Smith up to mischief. It is a huge six. In the last over of Pune Warriors' innings, Smith switched the stance early, but not the grip. Dwayne Bravo bowled one that would have hit the top of off had Smith not sent it sailing over short third man and some 20 rows behind the boundary. The most incredible part of the shot: it wasn't a switch hit.
It is a reverse lap. It is a reverse flick. It is a reverse leg glance, or an off glance if you will. It is Steven Smith up to mischief. It is a huge six. In the last over of Pune Warriors' innings, Smith switched the stance early, but not the grip. Dwayne Bravo bowled one that would have hit the top of off had Smith not sent it sailing over short third man and some 20 rows behind the boundary. The most incredible part of the shot: it wasn't a switch hit.
The crossing that wasn't
In the 18th over of the match, Mitchell Marsh cut Bravo in the air and straight to third man, and was so consumed by his disappointment he didn't bother to even look up. Smith, though, was alert and wanted the strike, but to his chagrin he was the only one making that effort. By the time the catch was taken, Smith had reached within diving distance of the stumps at the strikers' end, but Marsh hadn't moved, and the new batsman faced the next delivery.
In the 18th over of the match, Mitchell Marsh cut Bravo in the air and straight to third man, and was so consumed by his disappointment he didn't bother to even look up. Smith, though, was alert and wanted the strike, but to his chagrin he was the only one making that effort. By the time the catch was taken, Smith had reached within diving distance of the stumps at the strikers' end, but Marsh hadn't moved, and the new batsman faced the next delivery.
Smith would encounter similar disappointment in the last over when Manish Pandey would refuse to try a single and get bowled when slogging, leaving the new batsman to face a dot ball: no run off the last two balls.
The introduction
You know a Twitter joke has overstayed its welcome when it has reached Ravi Shastri, admittedly not an admirer of the micro-blogging site. At the toss, after introducing the captains, he went on to the match referee, "… and not Sir Ravindra, but Rajendra Jadeja." SMH.
You know a Twitter joke has overstayed its welcome when it has reached Ravi Shastri, admittedly not an admirer of the micro-blogging site. At the toss, after introducing the captains, he went on to the match referee, "… and not Sir Ravindra, but Rajendra Jadeja." SMH.
The drop
You are a batsman who has not been sent out to bat even though seven others have had a hit. You are unlikely to get a bowl. It's not quite an evening you are enjoying, and in the second over of your fielding effort you have a sitter coming your way at mid-on and you spill it. M Vijay, the beneficiary of your benevolence, goes on to add 23 more. You are T Suman, and where is the hole you can hide yourself in?
You are a batsman who has not been sent out to bat even though seven others have had a hit. You are unlikely to get a bowl. It's not quite an evening you are enjoying, and in the second over of your fielding effort you have a sitter coming your way at mid-on and you spill it. M Vijay, the beneficiary of your benevolence, goes on to add 23 more. You are T Suman, and where is the hole you can hide yourself in?
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo