Sri Lanka vs Australia

Steve Smith reveals conversation with Usman Khawaja post his run-out in Galle Test

Australian star batter Steve Smith opened up about his miscommunication with Usman Khawaja that led to his bizarre run-out in the first Test Match against Sri Lanka at Galle. People were unhappy with Smith’s gesture towards Khawaja following the run-out as he walked off the field angrily. He recently said that he has got over it as that is part of the game.

Smith further said that he hated getting run-out considering that the conditions in Galle were tough to bat and being one of the senior batsman in the team, he didn’t want to throw it away. He also mentioned that he talked to Khawaja after the incident and the latter was ‘chilled’. He added that mixups happen and they keep moving on.

“I hate getting run out. I think anyone does,” Smith was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo. “Particularly given the [tough] conditions and gifting them a wicket. As one of the most experienced players, I was pretty upset. That happens in the game. I got over it pretty quickly. I had to keep moving forward and that is part of the game. I spoke to Uz straight after and he was pretty chilled. Mix-ups happen, we keep moving on.”

Smith also spoke about his approach to facing the spinners. He said that he prefers using his feet or going deep into the crease, adding that he is not a “huge” sweeper. He also mentioned that it was not about getting stuck in the crease with the ball spinning into him but about having courage in the way the team is playing. “I’m not a huge sweeper so I prefer to run down the wicket and get them off their lengths that way or come back into my crease,” he said.

“Really it’s about not getting stuck on the crease with the ball spinning into me. If I’m doing that well and fast on the feet, I usually feel pretty good. It’s about having courage in the way guys are playing. It’s good we all play a little bit differently,” added the 33-year-old.

Australia won the first Test match in Galle by ten wickets and with over two days to spare. The second and final Test will begin on July 8. Australia will look to win the next one to further strengthen their position at the top of the WTC table.