Steve Smith didn’t wear glasses to mock Jack Leach; Here’s the actual fact

Jack Leach might have scored only a single in the second innings of the Headingley Test, but it helped England win the match by one wicket. Ben Stokes, his partner, came on strike and hit the winning runs. Thereafter, Stokes asked Specsavers to provide Leach with free glasses for life to which the company obliged. Leach was in for a similar task in the fourth Test at the Old Trafford in Manchester.

But this time, he didn’t have Stokes by his side for company. The southpaw showed determination in the third Test and it didn’t spring a surprise that he came to bat with the loudest cheer, any English batter would’ve gotten. The left-hander tried his very best, having scored 12 runs off 51 runs with one boundary, but he got out after which the Three Lions could only survive for 10 more balls.

Marnus Labuschagne, the leg-spinner, got some turn and bounce, and Leach was caught at short leg by Matthew Wade. The Brits were bowled out for 197, losing the game by 185 runs even as the Aussies retained the Ashes. In the meantime, a development has come to the fore where Steve Smith, the Player of the Match, was seen celebrating with his teammates with his glasses on.

The real fact about Steve Smith wearing glasses

His actions were perceived to have mocked Leach and Smith was thereafter greeted with a lot of criticism from the people. However, it has now been learned that the Sydney-born didn’t wear the glasses to ridicule Leach. Ryan Pierse, the Sydney-based Chief Photographer of Getty Images, said that Smith donned the glasses as a nod to Chris Rogers, the former Aussie cricketer.

Bit of chat in the UK and Australian press this morning that Steve Smith was mocking Jack Leach last night. The fact is Steve donned some glasses as a nod to the great Chris ‘Bucky’ Rogers. Uncanny resemblance wouldn’t you say! 🤓🏺🇦🇺 @gettysport @stevesmith49 #Ashes19 pic.twitter.com/pDtlsGBY9A

— Ryan Pierse (@RyanPierse) September 9, 2019

Rogers retired from Test cricket after the 2015 Ashes in England itself. Rogers, also known as Bucky, played 25 Tests in which he scored 2,015 runs with five tons and 14 fifties. His last Test was at the Kennington Oval, the very venue where the visitors will play the final Test of the ongoing series.

As far as Smith is concerned, he is presently the leading run-scorer of the series. He returned for the previous Test after recovering from concussion that he suffered in the Lord’s Test. Smith got a century in the first innings and then perished for 82 in the second in a quest to up the ante.