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Steve Smith Wears Eye-Black Strips in Pink-Ball Ashes Test After Chanderpaul’s Advice

He says the patches reduce glare under lights to improve pickup of the pink ball.

Overview

  • Australia’s stand-in captain applied adhesive black strips beneath his eyes during the second evening at the Gabba.
  • He sought guidance from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who recommended strips over chalk and corrected his initial placement.
  • Smith said the adjustment cut glare and sharpened contrast under floodlights during the day-night session.
  • He reached a half-century while wearing the strips in the night period of the Test.
  • The technique is common in NFL and MLB but rare in cricket, scientific evidence remains mixed, and Smith has not confirmed using it for the rest of the series.