Smith, Litton exchange words in Darwin test

Australia’s tradition of using verbal gamesmanship alongside their skills with bat and ball resurfaced on Day 3 of the Darwin Test, sparking a heated exchange between Steve Smith and Bangladesh wicketkeeper Litton Das.

The verbal back-and-forth was captured clearly on the stump microphone after a Taijul Islam delivery drifted down the leg side into Litton’s gloves. Following an unsuccessful appeal for caught behind, as the Bangladeshi fielders pondered whether to challenge the decision, Smith chimed in, saying, "Take it. Go on, take the review. Use it. Waste another review. Do whatever you want."

Litton promptly retorted, "You just bat. Just bat."
Smith fired back, "I am batting," to which Litton repeated, "Just bat."

The former Australian captain escalated the exchange, declaring, "No, I'll do whatever I want. I can do whatever I want."

Shortly after the interaction, Smith was dismissed for 44 runs off the bowling of Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
Commenting on the incident, former Australian opener David Warner praised Bangladesh's resilience, noting on air that after Litton engaged in that brief verbal battle, the team maintained an intense presence throughout the rest of the innings. Former Australian fast bowler Brendan Julian also remarked on Fox Sports that Bangladesh appeared fully prepared for a fight.