Cricket News World Test Championship (2021-23)

'Tight slap to our so-called superstars' - Fans react to Steve Smith's 'we play for team's success' remark after Australia claim top 3 spots in Test batting rankings

Steve Smith said 'we play for the team's success' after Australia claimed the top three spots in the latest Test batting rankings.

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Steve Smith

Steve Smith (Source: Twitter)

Steve Smith Steve Smith (Source: Twitter)

Australia's middle-order batters Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head are currently placed one, two, and three, respectively, in the latest Cricket Governing Body Test rankings. This is the first time in 39 years that three players from the same team occupy the top three places. The Australians were rewarded for their recent success over India in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final.

Labuschagne had been at the top spot for a while, but Smith and Head rose to the top three after their blistering centuries in the ultimate Test at The Oval. The left-handed batter scored 163 runs off just 174 balls in the first innings against India. He and Smith, who scored his 31st Test century, were a nightmare for the Indian bowlers and helped Australia post a massive score of 469.

The duo did not score much in the second innings, but Labuschagne made a crucial 41 as Australia set up a total of 444 for India to chase, which proved too much for Rohit Sharma and Co, who lost by 209 runs. Head, 29, was adjudged Player Of The Match, followed by yet another feat in his Test career in the form of latest rankings released on Wednesday.

It's good, but we don't play for the rankings: Smith reacts to latest Test rankings

Australia are now gearing up for another crucial Test series, The Ashes 2023, which will begin on June 16 in England. Ahead of the first Test of the five-match series, Australian vice-captain Steven Smith expressed his delight at the recent achievement but said they were playing for team success rather than individual awards.

"It's good that Top 3 Ranked Test batters are Australians, but we don't play for the rankings. We just play for the team's success," the 34-year-old said.

Smith and Head were Australia's third and fourth highest-scorers in the WTC 2021-23 cycle - behind Labuschagne (1,576 runs in 20 matches at an average of 52.53) and Usman Khawaja. From 18 matches, Head has scored 1,389 runs at an average of 55.56, including four centuries and six fifties, helping him become the sixth highest run-scorer in the cycle. Smith, on the other hand, scored 1,407 runs at an average of 52.11, which included four centuries and six fifties - finishing as the fifth highest run-scorer.

Here's how fans reacted to Steve Smith's remark: 

Australia Steve Smith Marnus Labuschagne