Australia coach Justin Langer rates two-ton Ashes hero on par with India skipper and batting maestro Virat Kohli
Steven Smith. Pic/ Getty Images
Birmingham: Australia coach Justin Langer feels Steven Smith is at par with Indian captain Virat Kohli as the world's best batsman after the comeback-man struck consecutive hundreds in the opening Ashes Test against England.
Langer said it's credit to Smith that he began his career as a spinner and later transformed into the best batsman in the world.
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"Let's face it; when he [Smith] first came in, leg-spinner, unorthodox... [everyone thought] 'I'm not sure this kid's going to make it'. Then he goes away [and decides] 'I don't want to be a leg-spinner; I want to be the best batsman in the world'.
"Then he transforms himself and he is the best batsman in the world with Virat. It's a great credit to him," Langer said.
"I said during the summer that Virat Kohli is the best player I have ever seen but that [Smith's knocks] is just another level," the coach said.
Returning to international cricket after serving one-year ban for the infamous ball tampering episode in South Africa, Smith struck twin centuries — 144 in first innings and 142 in second — to help his side register a thumping 251-run win against England on Monday.
Langer said Smith's knocks at Edgbaston showed his mental toughness and traits of a great player.
"You have in different teams, different eras, great players but for someone like Smudge [Smith], who is averaging over 60 and the way he played in this innings with all the pressure and everything that is on him, it was not only great skill but enormous character, enormous courage, very brave, unbelievable concentration, unbelievable physical stamina, unbelievable mental stamina, all traits of great players," he said.
The former left-handed opener termed Smith a problem-solver of his team, someone who just loves batting for long hours.
"You throw to him in the nets and you literally feel like you can't get him out and there's no batsman like that and you just end up throwing a million balls and you are just lost for answers," Langer said.
Smith overtakes Pujara to grab third spot
Dubai: Australian batsman Steven Smith yesterday overtook India's Cheteshwar Pujara to grab the No.3 spot in the ICC rankings after consecutive hundreds in the opening Ashes Test in Edgbaston on Monday.Smith, playing his first Test series after returning from a one-year ban for ball-tampering, gained a rung to reach the third position in the latest list for batsmen, which continues to be led by India captain Virat Kohli. Pujara is placed fourth in the fresh standings.
Smith's knocks of 144 and 142 won him the man-of-the-match award and the formerly top-ranked batsman is back above the 900-point mark along with Kohli (922) and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson (913).
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