"What are you bouncing Stuart Broad for?" - Ian Smith questions Australia's short-ball tactics in 2nd Ashes Test

Ian Smith has questioned Australia's short-ball tactics, especially against Stuart Broad, in the second Ashes Test.

Australia's short-ball approach yielded them rich dividends in England's first innings as they bundled out the hosts for 325 after they were 188/1 at one stage. Both sides followed the same approach in the second innings, with very few balls pitched in the batters' half of the pitch.

During an interaction on the SEN podcast 'Mornings with Matt White', Smith was asked about his thoughts on the Ashes potentially becoming excruciatingly boring if the short-ball tactics are carried throughout the series.

While replying in the affirmative, the former New Zealand wicketkeeper was particularly peeved about Pat Cummins and Co. following the same tactics against Broad:

"I totally agree with you on that. I hate to think that the next three Test matches are going to unfold with short-pitched bowling because that's not what the game is all about. There will be some short-pitched bowling directed at some individuals going forward, I can promise you that because there will be some real feeling going into the next three."

Smith added:

"For me, what it signals, it's a lack of trust. It was quite obvious that Pat Cummins didn't trust his bowlers to bowl line and length and get people out with traditional fields. For goodness sake, what are you bouncing Stuart Broad for? I mean, just bowl him out."

Ben Stokes farmed the strike throughout his 108-run seventh-wicket partnership with Broad. The Australian seamers primarily bowled bouncers and rarely pitched the ball up on the few occasions they got to bowl at the No. 8 batter.

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"Ben Stokes doesn't trust him for at least four balls of the over" - Ian Smith on Stuart Broad not being that good a player

Stuart Broad was dismissed soon after Ben Stokes got out.

Ian Smith pointed out that Ben Stokes looking to shield Stuart Broad was a reflection of the latter's capabilities with the bat:

"He is not a good player to the extent that Ben Stokes doesn't trust him for at least four balls of the over. He won't expose him to them and therefore he won't take runs. There was a lack of trust from Stokes around his No. 8 batter."

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that Australia should have opted for a more traditional approach to dismiss England's lower-order batters:

"There was a lack of faith from Pat Cummins at times with his field sets and the fact that he didn't back his bowlers - a very, very good seam attack - to knock over England's tail in a traditional manner."

Smith highlighted that he would have been bored crazy by the short-ball tactics had it not been such a riveting Test match. He concluded by hoping that the approach doesn't set the blueprint for the rest of the series.