Steve Smith warned for bizarre DRS interference vs Bangladesh

The Australian batter, Steve Smith, was warned as he appeared to be encouraging the Bangladesh side to take a review after the unsuccessful appeal of the leg before wicket (LBW) during the opening day of the second Test match at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay.

Bangladesh came into the Test match on the back of their nine-wicket victory in the first game in Darwin as they went 0-1 up in the series, thanks to their powerful batting department along with the superb bowling from Hasan Mahmud and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Smith tells Bangladesh fielders to "go for it" during a DRS discussion, draws umpires' attention

The incident took place on the ninth over of the innings for the home side when the Bangladesh pacer, Taskin Ahmed, struck Smith on the pads as the touring players immediately started appealing. However, the umpire Nitin Menon turned down the appeal.

Watch umpire warning Steve Smith here-

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Taskin was very eager to take the review as he had a small discussion with the captain Najmul Hosain Shanto. In that moment, Smith appeared to join in by telling the Bangladesh fielders that the ball was going over the stumps.

“I am halfway down the wicket to him. It’s going miles over. Go for it.” Smith was heard saying as the replays displayed that he gestured towards the Bangladesh fielders and tried to make an issue of the review. The on-field umpires approached the batter later in the over and spoke to Smith briefly before play resumed.

The incident comes as Mitchell Starc's six-wicket haul bowls Bangladesh out for just 64

On the opening day’s play, Bangladesh were blown away for 64 runs in the first innings as Shoriful Islam was the leading run-getter of the line-up with 14 runs, while three batters of the top four went back to the dressing room on ducks. Litton Das also failed to open his account and went back for a five-ball duck.

The left-arm pacer of the Australian side, Mitchell Starc, ripped through the Bangladesh batting line-up for his spell of 6/12 in 10 overs, including six maidens, while Pat Cummins returned with figures of 3/25 in 10 overs.

However, it was the same struggling batting from the hosts, who could take a lead of just 101 runs by the end of the day’s play as Shoriful Islam claimed his six-wicket haul.

Brief Scores: Australia 165/8 (Cameron Green 51*, Shoriful Islam 6/35) lead Bangladesh 64 (Shoriful Islam 14, Mitchell Starc 6/12) by 101 runs on Day 1.