On the eve of the opening Ashes 2025/26 Test match at the Optus Stadium in Perth, the stand-in Australia captain, Steve Smith, took a dig at the former England spinner, Monty Panesar, for his comments suggesting Ben Stokes remind Smith of the sandpaper gate during the series. 

Steve Smith went off topic in the press conference and revealed that anyone, referring to Panesar, who would think that Athens was in Germany or America, doesn’t hold a place in their thought process. Panesar has now gone hard at the New South Wales batter.

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“To think that he wanted to talk about me before one of the biggest days of his career -- when he will lead Australia out against England as he stands in for absent captain Pat Cummins -- is flattering, and nothing short of hilarious. I cannot believe he has dug out the old YouTube clip of my shocker and memorized it word by word,” Panesar wrote in his column on The Telegraph.

Monty Panesar sledges back Steve Smith over mastermind quiz show dig during Asia Cup 2025/26

In the ground, Smith failed for 17 runs in 49 balls as 19 wickets fell on the opening day of the Test match in Perth. The visitors were bundled out for 172 runs in the first innings, while the hosts found themselves 123/9 by the end of the opening day’s play.

 

 

 

 

 

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“I must admit I am delighted to have got so far inside his head, but if I can achieve that, imagine how much damage Ben Stokes and his side are going to be able to do once play starts in Perth? We've both made mistakes, but at least mine was on a celebrity quiz show. He was on a cricket field, and we both had to live by them.” Panesar added.

“I would actually ask Steve whether he can look himself in the mirror yet and admit that he was part of “Sandpaper gate”, the worst example of Australian cheating in history. Steve has just displayed a massive weakness and mental vulnerability that, at this level of elite sport, you cannot afford to do.” The left-arm spinner of the England side shed light.

Australia captain Steve Smith has taken a hilarious yet brutal reply towards the former England spinner, Monty Panesar, ahead of the Ashes 2025/26 curtain raiser at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Panesar made the headlines in the buildup to the series by reckoning that England should ban Smith over the sandpaper scandal. 

Smith, after announcing the Australia playing eleven, didn’t miss the chance to return the favor. Shortly after announcing the squad, he clearly came prepared by referring to Panesar’s embarrassing 2019 appearance on the UK quiz show Mastermind.

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“I’m gonna go off topic for a second here. Who in the room has seen Mastermind and Monty Panesar on that? Any of you? Yeah. Well, those of you who have, you’ll understand where I’m coming from, and those of you who haven’t, do yourself a favour because it’s pretty comical.” Smith expressed to the reports as the video goes viral.

Watch: Steve Smith hits back at Monty Panesar over Sandpaper comments

Smith, who confirmed that the home side would go with two debutants- Jake Weatherald and Brendon Doggett in the playing eleven for the opening Perth Test, looked back at the interaction of Panesar, who called America a city during the previous quiz show- Mastermind.

Monty Panesar said England should reignite Sandpaper-gate during the Ashes...

Steve Smith came prepared. 😂 pic.twitter.com/Kspp5nuBXv

— Herald Sun Sport (@heraldsunsport) November 20, 2025

“Anyone who believes that Athens is in Germany, that’s a start, Oliver Twist is a season of the year, and America is a city, doesn’t really bother me those comments. Yeah, that’s as far as I’ll go with that one.” Smith said as Australia, who have won their last 13 of the 15 home Tests against the Ben Stokes-led side, aim to continue their legacy at home in the longest format.

“Ben Stokes and the England team have got to make Steve Smith feel guilty and play on that. Say something like, ‘I don’t think it’s ethical that he’s the captain, I don’t think he played the game fairly. ’ Really get into him and make him feel guilty about it. Make him feel like, ‘they’re probably right, I shouldn’t be here, I shouldn’t be doing this.” Panesar commented on the buildup of the Ashes 2025/26.

Former England spinner Monty Panesar is optimistic about India’s chances in the upcoming fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. With the visitors trailing 1-2 in the five-match series after a narrow 22-run defeat at Lord’s, Panesar believes India has what it takes to level things up in Manchester. Despite their setback, India has shown resilience throughout the series and will be eager to bounce back, especially with a week’s rest providing time to regroup. Panesar highlighted the importance of staying disciplined and sticking to the basics as they prepare for the crucial encounter.

Panesar also emphasized that the conditions at Old Trafford could work in India’s favour if utilized correctly. The surface is expected to assist both batters and bowlers, ensuring a competitive contest over the five days. He suggested that India’s balanced attack and depth in batting could prove decisive. While injuries remain a concern for the visiting side, Panesar is confident that India has the bench strength and tactical acumen to overcome these challenges and put England under pressure in this must-win Test.

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“I think India's got a very good chance of doing well in the next Test match. The pitch will have everything to offer but it's about application and if they can do that, they will have a good chance of winning,” the left-arm spinner said as quoted by NDTV Sports.

If you bowl badly, you'll be punished: Monty Panesar

England have won four out of nine Test matches played against India at Old Trafford, with the remaining five ending in draws. The last time India played at the venue was back in 2014 under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, when they suffered a heavy defeat by an innings and 54 runs. Former England spinner Monty Panesar, who played 50 Tests, achieved his best figures at the ground, 10 for 187 against the West Indies in 2007. Reflecting on that performance, Panesar credited his mindset for delivering on big occasions throughout his career.

“It's going to be a good batting and bowling wicket, with the spinners getting something later on. There will be everything on offer for everyone. If you bowl badly, you'll be punished. While batting there will be pace and bounce, it will be the fastest pitch of the series so far. The bowlers will have to work hard to take wickets, and the batters will not be able to play loose shots and get away with it,” Panesar added.

India’s thumping 336-run win over England at Edgbaston has made a strong statement, with former England spinner Monty Panesar saying that the visitors have shown they are not afraid of England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach. This victory was not only India’s first-ever Test win at Edgbaston but also their biggest away win in terms of runs. With the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series now level at 1-1, India will head into the third Test at Lord’s with great momentum.

Speaking to IANS, Panesar said, “India will gain a lot of confidence from this. It shows they're not afraid of England's Bazball approach. There's a great deal of excitement and belief in the team. Shubman Gill has shown exceptional leadership; also, he has batted really well.” India was under pressure after a five-wicket loss in Leeds and entered the game without Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav. But Akash Deep stepped up in a big way to fill the gap.

The fast bowler produced a remarkable spell on a flat pitch, taking 10 wickets in the match to become only the second Indian bowler after Chetan Sharma to claim a ten-wicket haul in England. He got great support from Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Jadeja, and Washington Sundar, who each chipped in with a wicket in England’s second innings.

Shubman Gill's Captaincy and Akash Deep's Brilliance Stand Out

The win was also a big personal achievement for Shubman Gill, who led the team to victory in his first Test as captain. With scores of 269 and 161, Gill ended the match with 430 runs—the second-highest in Test history behind Graham Gooch’s 456, which also came against India in 1990.

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Panesar praised India’s bowling unit for taking all 20 wickets, saying it’s a big achievement. He added, “They've found a solid bowling combination, and with Jasprit Bumrah likely to return for the next match, the bowling attack will only get stronger. Akash Deep has an excellent average with the new ball. He's a genuine new-ball bowler, and he bowled really well—a remarkable comeback for him.”

Panesar also highlighted England’s problems, especially the performance of Shoaib Bashir, who gave away 286 runs in the match. “It’s troubling for England that their spinner can’t even deliver maiden overs consistently,” he said. The two teams now move to London for the third Test at Lord’s starting July 10, with the series finely balanced.

Former England spinner Monty Panesar voted for the changes India made for the ongoing Test in Edgbaston. Multiple cricket experts lambasted team India's decision to bench Jasprit Bumrah, the pace spearhead, and not include Kuldeep Yadav in the lineup for the highly anticipated second of the five-match Test series. Former international cricketers like Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, and Michael Vaughan questioned India's tactics behind team selection for the second Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The Indian team management relied on spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar to increase some depth in their batting. According to Monty Panesar, India made the right call by selecting Sundar over Yadav.

"I think you need to rest Jasprit Bumrah because I think this pitch is going to turn, so I think India's probably picked the right team to pick two spinners. And Edgbaston always turns. So, I think this time they are going to rely more on spin and less on pace," Panesar said in an interview. 

Panesar's interview was published before Day 2, and as of now, his and Team India's decision to include Washington Sundar paid off as the all-rounder scored a 42-run innings batting at number 8. Unlike the first Test in Leeds, Shubman Gill and Co. did not face the batting collapse in the first innings of the second Test. Undoubtedly, Sundar played his part with the bat in the lower order, which the team badly missed during the first Test. 

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"I think what's happening is that the batting is stronger, and also you have got Washington Sundar, who can be the attacking spinner. Ravindra Jadeja can be a bit more orthodox. I think playing Kuldeep Yadav is a bit too risky because the batting can collapse as well. India had a few big collapses, so they need to make the batting a bit stronger. And I think they've got the bowling spot on, you know, they can take 20 wickets on this pitch," Panesar added. 

The Edgbaston surface already showed that spinners can make some impact in the match. England spinner Shoaib Bashir took 3 wickets in the first innings; 2 he got on Day 2. 

Former England spinner Monty Panesar has raised key concerns about Gautam Gambhir’s early days as India’s head coach, pointing to the team’s bowling as the major area of worry. As India gets ready to face England in the second Test at Edgbaston on July 2, pressure is mounting on Gambhir following a defeat in the series opener—a match where India held a strong first-innings advantage but failed to defend a big target. Notably, India became the first team in Test history to lose despite five batters scoring hundreds in the same match.

Speaking to IANS, Panesar emphasized the need for Gambhir to prove himself beyond just improving the batting. “The problem is that if Gautam has the ability to make his team into a good batting unit, he then needs to show the ability to make the team into a good bowling unit. Fans are going to troll. They're going to come after Gautam Gambhir,” Panesar said. He further questioned whether Gambhir has the vision and tactical insight to build a bowling unit capable of taking 20 wickets in English conditions.

Panesar added that Gambhir’s success as a coach would ultimately hinge on his ability to select and manage the right bowling combinations across different venues. “He needs to now think, right, I know how to get the batting to fire, but as a coach, can I pick the team to take 20 wickets? That's his biggest challenge right now in England,” Panesar continued. “If he is not able to demonstrate that, then I think the BCCI will slowly, Test by Test match, assess him, and they'll just think, you know, what should we do after the end of the series?”

Edgbaston Expected to Turn, Kuldeep or Sundar Could Be Key

Panesar also gave insights into the likely conditions for the second Test at Edgbaston, predicting a surface that could assist spinners. “It's going to be a turning wicket. Edgbaston is dry. We won't see much grass from the wicket. I think it will help India,” he said, suggesting that bowling remains the primary challenge for India despite their strong batting. “India just needs to work out, right? Batting isn't the problem. It's bowling. We need to take 20 wickets to win a Test match.”

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Backing the idea of going with a spin-heavy attack, Panesar advised India to consider Kuldeep Yadav or Washington Sundar. He also called for left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh’s inclusion, believing he could trouble England’s batting lineup. “From that point of view, I think Prasidh Krishna bowls too short; maybe give him a rest. Bumrah, I think, will rest anyway. Kuldeep Yadav comes in, or Washington Sundar, one of the others, to play an extra spinner. Ashdeep Singh has to play,” he said. “Then, they have Mohammed Siraj; maybe Shardul Thakur could play.”