Jamie Smith, the batsman-wicketkeeper, was criticised by former England captain Nasser Hussain for his easy dismissal. At the Sydney Cricket Ground in the fifth and final Test of the current Ashes 2025-26, Smith took a reckless shot off part-timer Marnus Labuschagne.
With their talisman Joe Root in a strong position, England began Day 2 of the Sydney Test on 211/3. Before Root stabilised the ship with a vital 94-run partnership with the 25-year-old, England lost skipper Ben Stokes and Harry Brook at a low cost. Before Smith made a careless shot and gave away his wicket, the visitors were poised to record an enormous total.
Hussain took issue with this, criticising both the manner and the timing of Jamie Smith removal.
In addition to asking how Smith managed to escape, the 57-year-old mentioned the issues he believes exist on the English side. He also questioned the Ben Stokes-led team’s strategy and how they haven’t been able to read the game throughout the series.
Was it the series’ worst dismissal for England? It was up there. The timing of the shot was terrible, which is the issue with this England team, in addition to the execution and Labuschagne’s bowling. The new ball was five overs away, and lunch was nine minutes away. Simply live and go on. After Day 2, Vaughan told Sky Sports, “They have a lot of talent, but they don’t seem to lock on to the situation of the game.”
Before leaving, the Epsom native established a strong relationship with Root and scored a respectable 46 runs. After being caught on 22, Cameron Green’s no-ball provided him with a lifeline. The Englishman appeared ready for a massive knock, but instead he chose to ask the Australian part-timer for more protection before holing out to Boland.
Root, meanwhile, recorded his second century in this series and his first red-ball century on Australian soil. He equalled Ricky Ponting’s record of 41 centuries by completing his 41st tonne with a straight drive. The Yorkshire batsman is currently just behind Sachin Tendulkar’s (51) and Jacques Kallis’ (45) totals.
In the first inning, England was bundled out for 384 runs. Australia also had a great day batting, scoring 166 for 2 before the day’s play ended. Stokes took both of the wickets, when Travis Head was still at 91.
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