IND vs AUS: Steve Smith Hype falls like a pack of cards before Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Australia's talismanic batter Steve Smith was dismissed for a fourth-ball duck in the second innings of the match between Victoria and New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield. It was one of those rare moments when Smith was gone without troubling the scorers.

Smith is playing the tournament to prepare himself for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will be played next month. However, he has not started well and registered low scores in both the innings of the match.

During the second innings of the match, Smith received an in-swinger from Scott Boland. However, the 35-year-old misjudged the ball and was hit on the front pad after he attempted to leave the ball. Boland and the Vicorian fielders appealed and the umpire ruled it out.

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Watch- Steve Smith dismissed for a duck in Sheffield Shield

DUCK FOR STEVE SMITH....!!!!

- Smith 3(29) & 0(4) in the first domestic match ahead of BGT.

Not an ideal start for Australia ahead of the big summer. pic.twitter.com/i43lg4PoML

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 22, 2024

It was a huge wicket for Victoria as Steve Smith is arguably one of the best batters in Test cricket at the moment. On the contrary, it was a big blow for New South Wales, who have a big target to chase.

Second successive low score for Steve Smith

It was Steve Smith's second successive low score in the match, which is quite rare for him. Smith registered scores of 3 and 0 across the two innings. He will be aiming to regain form as quickly as possible before the highly anticipated five-match Test series against India.

Smith batted at No. 3 in this match. Recently, Steve Smith's batting position has been a talking point in Australian cricket. Smith moved up to open the innings after David Warner announced his retirement from Test cricket after the series against Pakistan.

However, he struggled to get big scores which raised questions on his ability as a Test opener. But Australia's chairman of selectors George Bailey has already confirmed that Smith will move back to his usual position at No. 4 in the Test series against India.

It means Australia will be looking for a new opening batter for the series to partner Usman Khawaja. Smith's form will be crucial for Australia in the series as they look to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade.

Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon also playing Sheffield Shield

Alongside Smith, other high-profile names in Australian cricket like Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc are also playing in this match. Starc picked up a six-wicket haul in the second innings and finished with 6-81 in 17.5 overs.

Meanwhile, offspinner Nathan Lyon had an ordinary game as he finished with 1-61 and 1-78 across both the innings. Both Starc and Lyon are key players for Australia and are likely to play big roles in the Test series against India.

The five-match Test series will be played in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. India have been the winner of the last two editions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy played in Australia and will draw confidence from those victories.