A tense verbal battle between Australian batting maestro Steve Smith and England fast bowler Jofra Archer provided a spicy finish to the second Ashes Test at the Gabba on Sunday night, with Smith emerging as the clear victor both on the scoreboard and in the war of words.
A Rivalry Rekindled in Brisbane
The heated exchange marked the latest chapter in a long-running and intense personal duel that dates back to the 2019 Ashes series in England. On that occasion, Archer famously struck Smith on the head with a ferocious bouncer at Lord's, forcing the Australian star to miss the remainder of that Test and the next due to concussion.
Despite the drama and hype surrounding Archer's express pace that day, a remarkable statistic underscores Smith's dominance: the England quick has still never dismissed Smith in Test cricket, despite bowling 222 deliveries at him. This context made Archer's decision to start chirping as England faced an imminent eight-wicket defeat in Brisbane all the more puzzling.
The Gabba Confrontation Unfolds
The flashpoint occurred as Smith, standing in as Australian captain, was ruthlessly closing in on the victory target. After smashing Archer for a boundary, Smith attempted to loft the next ball over the slips. This prompted Archer to launch into a verbal tirade.
Smith fired back immediately, reportedly retorting, "You're only bowling fast when there's nothing going on, champion." He then emphatically underlined his point by hitting Archer's very next ball for another four. After another brief exchange of words, Smith sealed the argument in the most emphatic fashion possible, launching a huge six to secure the win for Australia.
The confrontation quickly lit up social media, where fans were quick to resurface a telling old tweet from Smith. The tweet, posted in response to a story about Archer missing the 2023 Ashes through injury, saw Smith take exception to a claim that he had been "terrorised" by the bowler.
Fans celebrated the moment as the ultimate vindication of Smith's tweet. Comments flooded in, with one supporter noting, "Years passed but he never stopped owning Archer." Another highlighted the incredible statistical dominance: "Steve Smith vs Jofra Archer in Tests - Runs: 130, Outs: 0."
Post-Match Fallout and a Bizarre Coincidence
When quizzed about the incident in the post-match press conference, Smith played a straight bat, refusing to divulge the details of what was said. "He was just bowling good pace," Smith stated. "I'm not really too sure what he said and I'm not sure what I said, either. It's not really any of your business either. We'll leave it out there."
The match cemented Archer's unwanted record. He has now bowled more deliveries at Smith in Test cricket without taking his wicket than any other bowler. He surpassed the previous record of 214 balls bowled by South Africa's retired Vernon Philander, finishing the Gabba Test with figures of 0-130 from 220 deliveries aimed at Smith.
Smith finished the brief second innings unbeaten on 23 from just nine balls, a knock that included two fours and the match-winning six. This blistering cameo triggered the resurfacing of another bizarre social media coincidence—a 12-year-old tweet from Archer that simply read "23 off 9".
The fiery conclusion at the Gabba has undoubtedly set the stage for more electrifying contests as the series moves to Adelaide for the third Test, promising continued fireworks between two of the game's biggest stars.
