"Steve Smith just never looked himself" - Damien Fleming on Australia's batting issues in 1st Ashes Test

Damien Fleming has highlighted that Steve Smith and the other Australian batters, barring Usman Khawaja, have looked nervous in the ongoing Ashes Test.

Khawaja scored 141 runs in Australia's first-innings total of 386 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The left-handed opener was unbeaten on 34 at Stumps on Day 4 (Monday, June 19), with the visitors needing a further 174 runs with seven wickets in hand to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

During an interaction on the SEN podcast 'Whateley', Fleming pointed out that Khawaja has been Australia's savior in the batting department, with the other frontline batters found struggling in the middle:

"We wouldn't be in this position without Usman Khawaja, who in his renaissance as a Test opener in the last 18 months has just methodically started to tick off every little doubt or criticism of his game and he has brought a lot of serenity in what has been a nervy Australian batting lineup."

The former Australian pacer added:

"David Warner was so nervous in the first innings, I can't remember the last time that was the case. Marnus Labuschagne was playing at deliveries he wouldn't normally do. Steve Smith just never looked himself and Travis Head and Cameron Green were quite nervy when they started."

David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith have aggregated 78 runs between them across Australia's two innings of the Edgbaston Test. Although Travis Head and Alex Carey scored half-centuries in the visitors' first innings, they weren't as comfortable in the middle as Khawaja and led slightly charmed lives.

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"It's massive" - Damien Fleming on Australia losing Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith towards the end of Day 4

Steve Smith was caught behind off Stuart Broad's bowling.

Damien Fleming was asked about how critical Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith's wickets were late on Day 4, to which he responded:

"It's massive because a lot of the analysis leading in was how our lefties are going to go compared to 2019. Is it just going to be the same - around the wicket, wobbled seam, cross-seam and they might want to get the ball to go straight on."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Smith and Labuschagne failed to deliver as per expectations:

"Broad, Anderson and Robinson are very good against the left-handers. They have got Moeen Ali to spin it against left-handers. So I would have been backing either Labuschagne or Smith to score. I would have had them No. 1 and 2 to score the most runs for Australia in this Test match and they have been knocked over for less than 40."

Fleming concluded by stating that the duo's dismissals would have been a massive psychological win for England. He added that Cameron Green, once he got going, was the only Aussie right-hander to look comfortable in the middle.