England Star Slammed After 'Brainless' Moment in Fifth Ashes Test

England wicket-keeper Jamie Smith has been criticised by fans and pundits for his dismissal in the first innings of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.

Smith was on 46 not out and batting alongside centurion Joe Root when he slapped a Marnus Labuschagne short ball to the deep cover fielder.

There were just over five overs remaining until the new ball at that point, with England in control on 323 for 5.

Including Smith, they lost their last five wickets for 61 runs to be bowled out for 384, with Australia closing day two on 166 for 2 in reply.

The wicket-keeper's dismissal was symptomatic of some of England's major issues on this Ashes tour, whereby batters have got themselves in and found ways to get themselves out.

Harry Brook, on 84, had earlier edged to Steve Smith at slip while attempting to dab the ball down to third man.

Instead of being in a totally commanding position heading into day three, Ben Stokes' side will still be feeling positive, but are now desperate to remove the series' top run scorer Travis Head, who raced to 91 not out off just 87 balls before close.

Head capitalised on short and wide bowling from England to repeatedly cut the ball through the offside for four, and he scored 15 boundaries in the space of 34.1 overs.

At the end of the day, though, it was Smith's dismissal that was placed under the microscope.

Australia legend Justin Langer, commentating for Channel 7, called it 'one of the dumbest shots you'll ever see in Test cricket'.

And England's second-highest run scorer Alastair Cook told TNT Sports: "There are literally no words.

"How many times do you hear a modern player go, 'This is the way I play'?

"It was a terrible shot. Not only the actual shot he played. He was trying to clear a man on the three-quarters of the way back, so he wasn't trying to hit a gap.

"Marnus Labuschagne was bowling. There's a new ball just around the corner. You've got one of the best batters in the world ever at the other end, on 130 not out. You've had two lives.

"There's no words to describe it. It adds to the list, for me. You're facing Marnus Labuschagne. This is it - you've done the hard work. It was a terrible, terrible shot."

Labuschagne, who was clearly in disbelief at Smith's dismissal as he was caught by Scott Boland, has taken 14 wickets in his entire Test career.

A part-time bowler, the 31-year-old bowled leg-spin at the beginning of his career before switching to medium pace.

Australia had deployed a short ball tactic when Labuschagne was bowling, and with Smith one boundary away from his second half-century of the series, the hosts got themselves back into the innings and the Test match.

Fans described Smith's dismissal as 'brainless', while Test Match Special commentator Jonathan Agnew said he was 'speechless'.

"Thankfully I'm out of here," Agnew then said, with his commentary stint ending after Smith's wicket.