{"id":854245,"date":"2026-08-13T22:06:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T22:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/854245\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T22:06:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T22:06:12","slug":"the-alarming-numbers-exposing-australias-grim-batting-situation-no-excuses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/854245\/","title":{"rendered":"The alarming numbers exposing Australia\u2019s grim batting situation: \u2018No excuses\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steve Smith says it has never been as tough to be a top-order batter in Australia<\/a> but also insisted that there were \u201cno excuses\u201d for another poor batting display against Bangladesh<\/a> in the first Test. <\/p>\n

There was a sense of Groundhog Day when Smith top-scored with 71 in a total of 198 in Darwin after battling trio Jake Weatherald (23), Marnus Labuschagne (one) and Cameron Green (13) all failed to fire in the first innings.<\/p>\n

Watch the Darwin Test live and free on Seven and 7plus<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

Weatherald and Labuschagne spoke pre-Test about the adjustments in technique and approach they had made, while Green had been encouraged by captain Pat Cummins to \u201cintimidate\u201d the Bangladesh bowlers.<\/p>\n

But Weatherald and Green both played poor shots and Labuschagne was undone by an indecisive push around off-stump.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Labuschagne has not scored a Test century in more than three years, Weatherald averages 22.4 in 11 Test knocks and Green has not gone past 52 in 15 innings in the current World Test Championship cycle, while averaging 26.28.<\/p>\n

\"SteveSteve Smith feeling the heat during the Darwin Test. Credit: Getty<\/p>\n

The ball did move around at Marrara Stadium early, as it has done in recent seasons on Test grounds across the country, and the batters were tested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have said for a while that batting at the top of the order in Australia at the moment is as tough as I have seen in my career, by a mile,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ball is seaming significantly. It is extremely tricky and you need some luck definitely as a top-order batter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guys got off to a decent start today – Jake and Heady (Travis Head) – and then we lost a few in clumps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith said he expected the same challenges would apply \u201cin South Africa with their Kookaburra ball\u201d when Australia play a three-Test tour in October.<\/p>\n

Australia also endured first-innings Test collapses in Perth in 2024 and 2025 – scoring 104 against India and 132 against England – after similar long red-ball lay-offs.<\/p>\n

Smith said that trend hadn\u2019t been occupying his thoughts but made the point that the players all had ample opportunity to get ready to perform.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can take people a little bit of time to get into their work but there are no excuses. We have had a load of training in Brisbane with match simulation stuff,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have trained here. We have done plenty so there are no excuses there, that is for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith could easily have been out twice before he reached 10 with a dropped catch and a DRS decision which ruled he had not nicked a delivery which even he thought he had.<\/p>\n

He admitted he\u2019d had a bit of luck but added that batters had to find ways to put pressure back on the bowlers and put them off their lengths when they were bowling well, as he did against Bangladesh.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr maybe go the other way and come into our shell a bit and read the game and play what is in front of us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Australia did not do that and paid the price, with Bangladesh showing far more composure to reach 1-96 at stumps.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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