Why Steve Smith Isnt Playing Todays Ashes Test Will Surprise You?

The third Test match between Australia and England has now started, with Australia batting first. Just hours before the game, the team had made a massive change to their playing XI. Steve Smith, who led the team for the first two games, has been ruled out of the third Test.

Australia and England are now clashing against each other at Adelaide, for an important Test match. If Australia wins this game, the series would be won by them, even with two matches to go. The team had already announced its playing XI yesterday, and were expected to come with the same line-up.

However, something unexpected happened for them. , their stand-in captain for the first two tests, from the third one, just hours before the game. This has raised some serious questions by the fans, on the unavailability of Smith, whether he was dropped or he was unavailable.

1. Why was Smith Dropped?

The major question has been on the dropping of Steve Smith from the playing XI. The sports journalists were able to get the required information on why the former Australian captain will be missing out on the game. It has been reported that illness is the reason why by the team.

The reports said, “It is appearing like Steven Smith will miss the Adelaide Test. He had a bat in the nets on match morning but walked out to chat with coach Andrew McDonald in the middle and then headed back to the rooms.”

Following this, it continued, “. He trained on Tuesday but was clearly not at 100 per cent. He has now left the ground and headed to the hotel. It appears as though Usman Khawaja will be recalled in extraordinary circumstances. The shape of Australia's batting line-up will be known after the toss.”

In the two Tests played by Smith, he didn't really bat as much as he does. Still, he has managed to score 101 runs in the two games, and his average stands at 51.50, with one half-century. Fans still remember the clash between Steve Smith and Jofra Archer, which took place in the second Test match.

2. Usman Khawaja Gets a Chance

Earlier when Australia had announced its playing XI, in the same. The 39 year old batsman has not been able to play well lately, and he even faced injury issues. During the first Test, Khawaja faced back spasms due to which he didn't field for the majority of the game and even came to bat down the order.

Eventually, he went on to miss the second Test match at Brisbane, due to the injury. While he was on the road to recovery, it was not clear whether he would make it to the playing XI of the third Test match or not. The major reason behind it was the availability of Pat Cummins, and it didn't seem that Australia would be making many changes to the playing XI.

But the team was forced to change their mind at the last moment. With Steve Smith suffering from illness, the coach, Andrew McDonald, decided to . So, it was an opportunity for Usman Khawaja to finally showcase his worth to the team after having a slump in his form.

3. Khawaja's Comeback Script

Usman Khawaja generally comes to open for the Australian team. But this time, it was not possible for him to open, as the spot was held firmly by the duo of Travis Head and Jake Weatherald. So, in the number 4 position, where he had batted just twice in his whole career.

Along with that, it should also be noted that in the two games he played at this spot, he was dismissed for a duck and 2 runs respectively. Now, coming back to the spot where he had low scores was . Also, he was in the team in place of Steve Smith, who has already been a world-class batsman for Australia.

Taking a look at all the challenges and pressure, Usman Khawaja decided to respond well. He eventually went on to score 82 runs off 126 balls, with 10 fours, which helped to take Australia to a stable score. When the team stood at 94/4, Usman Khawaja partnered with Alex Carey to help them reach 185, before he lost his wicket.