Steve Smith admitted he felt he edged the ball but said technology ultimately “saved” him
Hasan Mahmud’s 6/55 bowled Australia out for just 198 on Day 1
Bangladesh finished Day 1 at 96/1, trailing Australia by only 102 runs
Steve Smith found himself at the centre of an unexpected “Spirit of Cricket” debate during the opening day of Australia’s Test series against Bangladesh in Darwin, but his response afterwards was refreshingly blunt. The former Australia captain survived a contentious caught-behind review early in his innings and later admitted that he believed he had made contact with the ball.
The incident occurred during the 21st over when Smith edged a delivery from Ebadot Hossain towards wicketkeeper Litton Das. Smith initially appeared ready to walk away, but stopped when the on-field umpire ruled him not out.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto immediately opted for DRS, only for third umpire Nitin Menon to find no spike on the Real-Time Snickometer. The original decision therefore remained unchanged.
Smith’s Honest Admission Sparks Spirit Of Cricket Debate
Smith was later asked directly during his post-day press conference whether he had nicked the delivery. His answer left little room for interpretation.
Steve Smith: I think so, yeah! I was lucky? Yeah, it seems that way. Yeah, you've got to take it sometimes (laughs).
Journalist: Do you have to trust technology there?
Steve Smith: Normally, it’s pretty good. Maybe I didn’t nick it. I don’t know. But I certainly felt something. If I had given out, I was going to walk off. But yeah, technology saved me today, I guess.
His final remark, “technology saved me today," added an element of humour to an otherwise contentious moment.
The episode inevitably brought the familiar “Spirit of Cricket” conversation back into focus, recalling previous flashpoints involving Ravichandran Ashwin’s non-striker dismissal of Jos Buttler, Angelo Mathews’ timed-out dismissal and Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping during the 2023 Ashes.
Bangladesh Turn The Screws On Australia
Smith’s honesty, however, could not hide what was ultimately a disastrous opening day for Australia. The veteran batter provided the bulk of the resistance with a gritty 71, but Hasan Mahmud produced a career-best 6/55 to dismantle the hosts. Australia were bowled out for just 198, their lowest-ever Test total against Bangladesh.
Mitchell Starc then gave Australia a breakthrough in Bangladesh’s reply, dismissing Shadman Islam. The wicket also took Starc beyond 434 Test wickets, making him the most successful left-arm bowler in Test history.
However, Bangladesh finished the day firmly on top at 96/1, with Tanzid Hasan unbeaten on 35 and Mominul Haque on 32, leaving the visitors just 102 runs behind with nine wickets in hand. Australia’s decision to bat first had spectacularly backfired, while Bangladesh’s depleted bowling attack produced one of the most impressive opening days of their Test history.
