New Delhi: Ahead of the third Test match in the ongoing Ashes, England's pacer Jofra Archer was seen imitating Australia's Steven Smith's style of leaving the ball outside the off-stump.
In a video posted by cricket.com.au, Archer can be seen having a practice session. In the video, Archer plays a straight drive just like Smith and then he goes on to leave the ball in exactly the same manner as Smith.
Is that Jofra Archer or Steve Smith in the nets at Headingley? #Ashes @alintaenergy pic.twitter.com/RT5ADoSUjr
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) August 22, 2019
Smith's antics with the bat in the second Test match had sent the Twitterverse into a tizzy as many cricket fans were seen voicing their opinion of how the batsman was leaving the ball outside the off-stump.
Both Smith and Archer were engaged in an intense battle in the second Test match, and the former was hit on the neck by a bouncer bowled by the latter.
Smith will be missing the third Test match as he has not recovered in time after suffering a delayed concussion.
The 30-year-old had to deal with two blows on day four of the second Test match. First, he was struck on the elbow by Jofra Archer and soon after he got a hit on the neck by a bouncer from the pacer.
Physios from both England and Australia attended to Smith, but the batsman had to leave the park to undergo a concussion test. A while later, the batsman made his way back to the crease, but a section of England crowd was seen booing the player.
On the final day of the Test match, Cricket Australia released a statement that Smith had suffered a delayed concussion and as a result, he was ruled out of day five of the second Test.
Marcus Labuschagne was named as the concussion substitute in place of Smith.
Archer went on to take five wickets in his debut Test match and he would hope to replicate the performance in the third Test match at Headingley.
Smith has been in remarkable form in the Ashes as he has scored 378 runs in the series so far.
In the first Test, he became the fifth Australian to register centuries in both innings in an Ashes Test. He also surpassed Indian skipper Virat Kohli to become the second-fastest batsman to register 25 Test centuries.
Nathan Lyon scalped six wickets in the second innings of the first Test, which enabled the team from Down Under to register a 251-run victory.
England and Australia will take on each other in the third Test at Headingley later today.
Having won the first Test, Australia is leading 1-0 in the series.
