00:00Fearless at the crease yet fragile in patches, adored by fans yet often mishandled by selectors,
00:07Robin Smith's England journey was a beautiful bundle of contradictions. When the mood was right,
00:12he was a thunderstorm with a bat, carving fastballers with those signature cuts and hooks
00:18that whistled past point-like missiles. He did not just face the West Indian quicks,
00:24he relished their chin music, smiling through the barrage as if it were his favorite playlist.
00:29In February 1993 at Chennai during the second test engaged India,
00:34Robin Smith showcased his class. He scored a solid 56 runs from 89 balls,
00:39spending 103 minutes at the crease and hitting 10 beautiful fours. It was a memorable knock
00:45and a reminder of his fighting spirit. So let's enjoy his innings.
00:59For Smith, half volley, timed away through the offside. That's the first ball going for four.
01:09Manoj Prabhakar hasn't balled since the second evening.
01:18Perhaps in the nets, this wasn't even a half volley, but Robin Smith realizes that
01:22he has to get as many runs as he can off the new ball.
01:34Oh, that's the shot Robin Smith plays so well. Four runs beautifully hit.
01:4024 for two at the end of the over, and it's that sort of shot that just relieves the pressure a
01:48fraction, doesn't it? Yes, I think he has to play shots for Robin Smith. He's so,
01:56I think he feels more under pressure with the spinners than any of the other top order batsmen.
02:01And that's a fine stroke by Robin Smith. He loves that shot, plays it very,
02:14very well indeed. Four splendid runs for England.
02:17Yeah, it's cracking shot this. Short of a length, bit of width,
02:27and he doesn't need much Robin Smith. You give him anything on the offside,
02:32front foot or back foot, and he really will hammer it away.
02:36You see, square cuts almost as well as Gordon Greenwich, doesn't he? He hits it beautifully.
02:42I think this could be Kappel Dev's last over, unless he gets a wicket. Time for the spinner.
02:50And that's four more, which underlines Jeffrey's point. I'm afraid the great man has been rather
02:56affected now by the heat, and he's bowled. This is his seventh over, and he's got two wonderful wickets.
03:11There we are, the both of them. Oh my goodness. I think we all like to have Beefy here. Doesn't that look like him?
03:18My goodness, maybe he is here.
03:23No, I don't think it's got quite his look, but very near. It's a near miss.
03:31Oh, Smith got hold of that one nicely. It's gone away for four runs.
03:3545 for two.
03:49Well played by Smith. Four more, and this innings is doing him no harm at all,
03:55as he finds his feet out there in the middle. He gets a score under his belt.
04:00But this is a bonus, isn't it? It's a full toss on a wicket like this,
04:05so the batsman can easily tuck into that.
04:09All that the bowler needs to do is pitch the ball on the stumps, on target, and let the wicket do
04:14everything. But if the ball is not going to be pitched at all, go as a full toss, the batsman can
04:20help himself for some easy runs.
04:22More runs for Robin Smith. He's now up to 47, so he needs just three for a 50.
04:36He did say to us, it was before this match started, he was going to be much more positive in his
04:40approach. He didn't show that in the first innings, but in this innings, he got going against Kappel Dev.
04:47And a terrific way to get to his half century. Smith using his feet, which is what is required
05:03to be done on a wicket which is turning, get as close to the pitch of the ball as possible
05:08and therefore smother the turn, whether in defence or in offence.
05:12Robin Smith was also part of the England team that reached the final of 1992 Cricket World Cup.
05:21Fans called him Judge because with long hairs, he looked a bit like a judge in a courtroom.
05:27His strength could also become his weakness. Those strong stiff arms that smash baseballing did not
05:33always help against slow ballers. When he pushed forward without certainty, even part-time offspinners
05:39felt they could get him out. After retiring from county cricket in 2003, he moved to Australia
05:46and helped run the helmet company, Missouri. Life was not always easy. He struggled with anxiety
05:52and mental health issues, but he kept moving forward. Today, he works with his brother's
05:57clothing business, run his own cricket coaching academy, and is studying psychological science at
06:02Swinburne University in Melbourne. So, Robin Smith remains a tough competitor, a strong character,
06:08and a player fans will always remember. If you like this video, please comment, share and subscribe.
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