Steve Smith Left Entire Lord's Crowd in a Shock
The
entire Lord's crowd was left in shock when Steve Smith arrived in action just
minutes after leaving the field. Smith was forced to retire injured after tying
the elbow Jofra Archer, a brutal playmaker around his neck, on the fourth day
of the second Ashes Test at Lord's. Smith was knocking at 80 runs when he left
the eyes of an Archer bouncer at 92.4 mph (148.7 mph) and was shot in the neck
under his helmet.
The
entire stadium was out of breath, as Smith fell to the ground and immediately
removed his helmet. The Australian team doctor and physiotherapist quickly went
to examine Smith. The former Australian skipper then underwent a shock test
before leaving the field.
Before
that, Smith had already needed medical attention when, at 70, he was struck in
the forearm by Archer. The blow caused a huge and sudden swelling. Smith's arm
was tied up and he was given an armed guard. It was a fiery spell of Archer
where he reached a maximum speed of 96.1 mph (155 km/h).
Few
would have thought that Smith would play an extra role in the game, let alone
come out in the same innings. However, he came out in action as soon as Peter
Siddle returned to the pavilion. Smith looked set to record his third
consecutive title in the series before Chris Woakes sent him back for 92. Smith
received a standing ovation from the entire stadium as he walked to the locker
room.
