Ashes 2021-22 | I’ve got my game pretty well set now, says Steve Smith ahead of Ashes challenge

12/06/2021

Steve Smith is confident that he’s all geared up for the upcoming Ashes series at home, beginning December 8 at Brisbane. He also backed the selection of Mitchell Starc, after the left-arm pacer's spot in the XI was in question given his unimpressive returns against India last home season.

Steve Smith, the second ranked Test batsman currently, is all set to ply his trade in the upcoming Ashes series at home. The right-hander had aggregated a staggering 774 runs at 110.57 from just seven outings in the 2019 edition in England, which was his comeback to the longest version, after having served a one-year ban over the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal in 2018.

Ahead of the England challenge, he’s confident of his game, and lays emphasis on adaptability to keep succeeding at the highest level.

"I think I've got my game pretty well set now, and then I think there's just minor tweaks that need to come in place depending on who I'm playing against, where I'm playing and what's coming at me," Smith told cricket.com.au.

"Being able to adapt is the most important thing for me in terms of longevity; people come up with different plans – different fields, different ways of attacking you – and it's up to you to be good enough to counter what comes at you. That for me is what I try and improve each day – just my thought process on how I want to go about it."

Smith looked back at how he’d redeemed himself during the second half of the last home series, against India, in which he’d managed 1, 1*, 0 and 8 in the first four outings, before scoring 131 and 81 in Sydney and another fifty at The Gabba.

He said that the Indian bowlers had succeeded while testing his patience then.

"I wasn't too surprised with the way India came at me last summer,” he said. “It was more about just trying to stop me scoring for a lot of the time – they were just trying to 'out-patient' me, in a way, and I think they probably got the better of me in the first couple of Tests, and then I got going in Sydney, where I actually started to bat a bit better as well."

Australia announced their playing XI for the series opener on Sunday, with Travis Head and Mitchell Starc being the most notable inclusions. Smith backed Starc's selection, who’s selection has been debatable, as he’d done little of note against India last season. Starc had managed 11 wickets at 40.73 from four Tests then.

"He was bowling with some proper pace and swinging the ball late,” said the newly appointed vice-captain. “And we know when he does that he’s, if not the best in the world, he’s up there with it."

The first Ashes Test will be played at The Gabba, beginning Wednesday, December 8.