New Delhi: If a list is prepared for on-field brilliance that changed the course of a Test match then Steve Smith’s effort on the third day of the India-Australia Test at Benglauru would rank right up there.
Rahul had just reached his fourth half-century in Test cricket and his second in successive innings when the Australian captain plucked one out of thin air to send Rahul back to the pavilion.
Steve O’ Keefe floated one outside the off stump and Rahul went for a booming drive which took the outside half off the bat. Smith at first slip flew towards his right at full stretch to take what turned to be one of the most brilliant catches at that position.
The catch not only saw the back of Rahul, it also put brakes on the free flowing scoring rate of India.
Notably, this is not the first time Smith has pulled off something of that sort. He took two tremendous one-handed catches against New Zealand in an ODI.