Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: Unable to track flight of the cricket ball and persistent dizziness compelled Steve Smith to pull out of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide.
Smith led Australia in Australia’s eight-wicket victories in the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane, but had to withdraw on opening day of their 82-run win in Adelaide.
“As soon as I started batting in Adelaide I didn’t feel great, wasn’t tracking the ball well, had a bit of head stuff going on. Three days out, hit again, played golf that afternoon. I’d already spoken to Ron [coach Andrew McDonald] and was like ‘I don’t feel great’, so he goes ‘just try to get out and do some things and see how it goes’," Smith told The Age.
"So I played that afternoon, felt awful that night. I felt terrible the next day, didn’t hit or do much. Then I hit the next morning and felt ordinary again. I tried the next day, morning of the game and I just wasn’t I couldn’t track the ball. Felt dizzy. When I had my head back and come up (to face), I needed to recalibrate every time my head came up, it was all over the place, and in the end we made the right decision."
"I felt awful that day. And playing in that heat wasn’t going to help me – those first two days were bloody hot. So, yeah, I sort of got to the decision, which was the right one, although I think I would’ve liked to bat on that wicket.”
In the past, Smith has had to sit out matches due to vertigo and the Adelaide Test was the second match missed in the last six matches.
The 36-year-old suffered a concussion during a T20I game against Sri Lanka in 2022 and earlier had disclosed how he used laser-fitted goggles to deal with vertigo symptoms.
“I’ve had a few different things with my head in the past, head knocks, some vestibular stuff, some vertigo stuff. It was more the vestibular stuff this time. It wasn’t the room spinning with the vertigo, which I’ve had previously, but it’s the eye-tracking and not being able to focus on things, particularly moving targets,” he said.
I felt really slow, really heavy in the head, tightness in the neck and not much fun. I’m still talking to people about it. I’ve got some training exercises I need to do, tracking things, wearing goggles with a laser on it, drawing different shapes and things like that. So it’ll be a bit of that, strengthening my neck. Fingers crossed it’s gone and never comes back. That would be nice,” added Smith.
He is available for selection and will again lead in the fourth Test in Melbourne in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins, who returned from injury in Adelaide but with the series already won with two matches to spare, has opted to rest.
