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WATCH: Steve Smith takes a blinder to dismiss Will Jacks in the AUS vs ENG 2nd Test | Ashes 2025-26

By Sandy Verma

Steve Smith delivered one of the defining moments of the Ashes 2025-26 with a sensational one-handed catch at second slip on day four of the second Test at the Gabba, a grab that shifted momentum decisively in Australia’s favour. With England grinding their way to 230/6, leading by 47 and threatening to stretch the game deep, Smith’s reflex brilliance ended a stubborn 96-run partnership between Will Jacks and Ben Stokes that had kept the hosts at bay for more than 200 balls.

Steve Smith’s stunner lights up the Gabba

The breakthrough arrived via Michael Neser, operating with wicketkeeper Alex Carey standing up to the stumps. Bowling from around the wicket, Neser delivered a teasing length ball that drew Jacks into a hesitant push outside off stump. The ball died as it reached the cordon and looked destined to fall short – until Smith intervened with a moment of pure athletic instinct.

The stand-in skipper crouched sharply and then sprang full stretch to his left, snatching the ball just millimetres from the turf with an outstretched left hand. The catch brought immediate roars from the Brisbane crowd and stunned even seasoned commentators, many of whom instantly called it the catch of the series.

Adding a layer of narrative symmetry, the dismissal came barely 48 hours after Jacks had taken a viral one-handed catch at short fine leg to remove Smith for 61 in Australia’s first innings. Fans quickly dubbed the Gabba grab a “poetic revenge moment”highlighting the competitive edge that has characterised this Ashes contest.

Smith’s celebration-sprinting, leaping and punching the air – was unusually animated for Australia’s Test captain, underscoring the magnitude of the wicket after England’s long spell of resistance.

The moment also carried historical significance: the catch drew Smith level with Rahul Dravid’s 210 Test outfield catches, cementing his status as one of the finest slip fielders in modern cricket.

Social media erupted within minutes, with replays trending across platforms and analysts comparing the effort to Smith’s best – such as his Adelaide and Edgbaston classics in previous Ashes campaigns. Former players hailed it as a snapshot of Smith’s rare anticipation and technical excellence in the cordon.

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England collapse quickly after Smith’s blinder

Jacks’ dismissal opened the floodgates. England, who threatened to turn the match into a fourth-innings scrap, lost their final four wickets for just 11 runs, folding for 241. Their lead of 64 was never likely to trouble Australia on a pitch that flattened out considerably.

Chasing 65 for victory, Australia completed the job with minimal fuss, cruising to an eight-wicket win that handed them a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-Test series. The triumph puts home team firmly in control of the Ashes heading into the Boxing Day Test, while England face mounting questions after back-to-back defeats.

Also READ – Ashes 2025-26: Fans erupt as Mitchell Starc’s all-round heroics helps Australia thrash England in the Gabba Test

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