Australian batsman Steve Smith was praised by cricket fraternity around the world for his match-winning double ton in the 4th Ashes 2019 Test at Manchester. But along with the compliments, the former Australian skipper also faced a lot of bashing for wearing spectacles and doing left-handed shadow batting in the post-match celebration. The celebration didn’t go well with the England cricket fans as they assumed that Smith is mocking Jack Leach who also wears spectacles and is also a southpaw. Thus, the batsman faced wrath of England fans in social media. ‘Still a Cheat’! Steve Smith Reminded of His Past after Australian Batsman Ridicules Jack Leach During Fourth Test Victory Celebration in Ashes 2019.

However, Australia Coach Justin Langer came in defense of the no. 1 ranked Test batsman and clarified that Smith was mimicking former Australian Opener Chris Rogers who also wears glasses and is a left-handed batsman. Langer told the reporters on Tuesday that the batsman was talking about Chris Rogers who was the part of the Australian squad that toured England for Ashes 2015. Latest ICC Test Rankings 2019: Steve Smith Increases Lead over Virat Kohli As World No. 1 Batsman; Pat Cummins Extends Stay As Top-Ranked Bowler.

Leach, who was the unsung hero of England’s victory in the third Test at Headingley, grabbed headlines for not only showing resilience with the bat but also for cleaning his glasses on several occasions. However, the left-arm spinner didn’t enjoy a great outing the fourth Test and looked completely ineffective against the Australian batsman.

Talking about Ashes 2019, Australia is currently leading the 5 match Test series by 2-1 with one Test to go. By clinching a victory in the fourth Test, the Tim Paine-led side took an unassailable lead and made sure that the Ashes urn remains with them as they were the winners of the previous edition of Ashes in 2017-18. However, England will try to win the last Test of the series in order to avoid a series loss at the home soil while Australia will look to extend their winning run.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 11, 2019 11:33 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).