Babar Azam was absolutely livid while taking the walk back towards the pavilion, as he also hit the boundary rope with the bat. The Sydney derby delivered plenty of drama, particularly for the Sixers, as Steve Smith and Babar Azam found themselves at the centre of it. A miscommunication while fielding allowed a boundary for the Sixers, and the confusion continued during their opening partnership in the chase of 190 against the Thunder; however, it didn’t affect the flow of their innings, as Smith went on to smash a brilliant century to help his team register a massive win.
During the chase, Babar was struggling to get the boundaries at will and in the 11th over, he played three back-to-back dot balls while he placed the fourth ball into a space where an easy single was on offer on the last ball of the over, but Smith from the non-striker’s end denied it. Babar was in disbelief as he was stunned by his batting partner’s decision not to take a run. The Sixers opted for the power surge in the next over, and Smith took full advantage of it. The Aussie star smashed Ryan Hadley for four consecutive sixes on the first four balls and then went on to collect 32 runs off it, which made it the most expensive over in BBL history.
On the next ball of the first over, which was also the first Babar was facing after Smith denied him a single and Nathan McAndrew made it worse for the Pakistan batter by outfoxing him straightaway for 47. Babar was absolutely livid while taking the walk back towards the pavilion, as he also hit the boundary rope with the bat. “Wasn’t happy, Babar. Not a good look, that. Whatever you are feeling you don’t show that,” Mark Waugh said during the commentary after watching the Pakistan batter’s furious reaction.
Smith slams 41-ball century, powers Sixers to win in derby
After Babar’s dismissal, Smith took complete control of the chase and never let the momentum slip. The Sixers skipper brought up a stunning century off just 41 balls, steering his side to a five-wicket win with 16 deliveries to spare. Earlier, David Warner had set up the contest with a commanding unbeaten 110 from 58 balls, lifting the Thunder to a competitive 189 for 6. Smith, though, eclipsed that effort with an innings marked by crisp timing and fearless strokeplay. His ability to find gaps and clear the ropes under pressure ultimately swung the game decisively in the Sixers’ favour.
