In cricket, ‘seeing it like a beach ball’ is a cliched used when the batsman is finding things all too easy. During the course of this Ashes 2019, this phrase might have been used on multiple occasions when Steve Smith was batting. He is batting on a different level now and his form has been impeccable in the series. Right since his comeback into Tests after about 16 months, he is playing some brilliant cricket.

All he needed was three innings to move up the ladder from being the ICC Test No.4 batsman to ICC Test No.1 batsman. In the first Test, he scored twin centuries and announced his arrival. Then, in the next game, he batted beautifully as well. However, a deadly bouncer from Jofra Archer hit him around the side of the neck region. In the first innings of that game, he scored 92 and didn’t bat in the second innings due to concussion. Furthermore, he couldn’t play the third Test due to this injury.

Steve Smith enjoying every moment he spends in the middle

But when he came back to bat in the fourth Test, it seemed as if the Lord’s injury never happened. He looked as confident as ever and even took on a few short balls. At the close of play on Day-1, he remained unbeaten on 60 taking his tally to 438 runs in four innings thus far. It was a windy day in Manchester and everything was flying into the centre including snacks packets.

Also, as we have seen earlier in the series as well, the audience was playing with a beach ball in the stands. On the fourth ball of the 29th over which Jofra Archer was bowling, these strong winds took that beach ball along with them. The winds took the ball towards the centre of the ground where Steve Smith was batting. Smith decided to enjoy this moment and did something cheeky.

As the ball approached towards him, the former Australian skipper played a paddle sweep. Quite funnily, the winds pushed the ball towards the boundary. After Smith did this, the crowd went ballistic and thoroughly enjoyed this moment with loud cheers.