In the fifth Ashes 2025 Test, Jamie Smith was slammed by Justin Langer for playing “one of the dumbest shots.” Despite the criticism and England’s collapse, Joe Root defended Smith, backing an aggressive approach over mere survival.
England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith was criticized for his poor shot selection that resulted in his dismissal on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test of the Ashes 2025 series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Monday, January 5.
England resumed their first innings at 211/3, with Joe Root and Harry Brook batting on 72 and 78, respectively. However, the visitors were bundled out for 384 in 97.3 overs, with Root headlining with a brilliant innings of 160 off 242 balls, including 15 fours, while Brook and Jamie Smith contributed with innings of 84 and 46 balls to ensure that England post a respectable first-innings total.
However, England lost momentum in the later stages of the innings, as they were reduced to 323/6 to 384 all out, losing the remaining 4 wickets in just 61 runs, leaving Australia with an opportunity to claw back into the match, despite Root’s heroic knock.
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‘One of the Dumbest Shots’
As England struggled to consolidate their batting after Joe Root’s masterclass performance, Jamie Smith came under fire for his shot selection. Walking in to bat after skipper Ben Stokes at 229/5, Smith joined Joe Root at the crease to carry on England’s innings. The pair was steadying the visitors’ ship and formed a crucial 94-run stand for the sixth wicket to take the team past the 300-run mark before Smith’s dismissal at 323/6.
However, the way Jamie Smith was dismissed drew heavy criticism, especially from former Australian batter and head coach Justin Langer. The wicketkeeper-batter attempted an aerial shot off a short-pitched delivery by Marnus Labuschagne, and Scott Boland took an easy catch at deep cover.
Justin Langer, who was on air, slammed Smith for playing ‘one of the dumbest shots’ in the ongoing Ashes 2025 series.
“What I do know is not for the first time in this series, Jamie Smith has played one of the dumbest shots you’ll ever see in Test cricket. He was lucky earlier; he had a very soft dismissal off a no-ball to Cameron Green. Test cricket goes for five days; this is dumb cricket. Marnus Labuschagne is pumped.” Langer said on air.
Jamie Smith’s dismissal left Joe Root to shoulder the responsibility of England’s innings alone, guiding the tailenders and ensuring the visitors post a respectable total on the board despite losing the momentum in the later stages of the innings. However, Smith’s wicket proved to be the turning point of England’s innings, triggering a collapse which saw the visitors lose the remaining four wickets quickly and surrender the momentum built on Root’s 160-run innings
Joe Root Backs Jamie Smith Despite Poor Shot Selection
Amid the criticism over Jamie Smith’s poor shot selection that resulted in his dismissal at a crucial juncture of England’s innings, Joe Root has come out in defence of his teammate, stating that the visitors’ approach is about moving the game forward rather than making batters just survive, and stressing that mistakes are part of the learning curve while backing Smith “100%” despite the dismissal.
"We're trying to move the game forward all the time, and when it doesn't come off, it can look a certain way. But as a batter, your job is not to survive; it's to score runs. You can't win games just by surviving,” the former England captain said.
"Sometimes you just make a mistake, and you have to learn from it. That's the art of the game: it's not being too hard on yourself, not being too soft on yourself, it's being real and understanding what you need to do to get the best out of yourself. They are clearly very good players, and I back them 100%," he added.
Meanwhile, at the end of Day 2, Australia posted a total of 166/2, with Travis Head and nightwatchman Michael Neser batting on 91 and 1, respectively, and trailing by 218 runs against the visitors’ first-innings total of 384, setting up a tense contest for Day 3 as both teams pushed for momentum in the series finale.
