Australia made an early statement on the second day at Brisbane, dismissing England for 334 before tightening their grip on the contest. Openers Jake Weatherald and Travis Head set the tone with a rapid 77-run stand in just 13 overs, putting the visitors immediately under pressure. Their positive intent carried the hosts comfortably past the 200-run mark as both Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne stroked fluent half-centuries at the Gabba.
With the platform set, Steve Smith and Cameron Green came together to continue Australia’s charge. As the partnership grew and the deficit narrowed to double digits, England captain Ben Stokes turned to Jofra Archer early in the final session, hoping the speedster could crack open the innings. Archer responded with a hostile spell, targeting Smith’s body with short deliveries and stationing a leg slip to exploit any miscues.
Smith, though, was alert to the challenge. Attempting a full-blooded pull, he top-edged Archer’s second ball over the slips for a streaky boundary. Archer fixed Smith with a frosty glare afterward, making his displeasure clear without needing to say a word.
Despite the moment of luck, Smith showed no signs of being rattled. Under the evening lights, he settled back into his rhythm, patient and composed as Archer circled back for another burst. The contest began to simmer, each man intent on winning the next exchange.
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Two balls later, Archer dug in another sharp short delivery, but this time Smith was ready with a perfectly judged riposte. Leaning away to create room, he ramped the rising ball cleanly over the slip cordon, using Archer’s pace to send it soaring for six. Replays revealed the connection was pure, the ball striking the middle of the bat with authority.
That audacious stroke felt like Smith’s moment of redemption after his earlier mis-hit, and social media quickly took notice. The shot also underlined his dominance over Archer in the format—Smith has now scored more than 100 Test runs off the pacer without being dismissed even once.