IND vs AUS | I've found my hands in the last few days, which I'm extremely excited about, reckons Steve Smith
Steve Smith has admitted that he was not happy about his batting form in the Indian Premier League but the way he is knocking it in the last few days has made him happy. He has also added that it took him ‘longer than usual’ time to find his old mojo back with the IPL seeing a dip in form.
After lighting up the stage as an opener in the first couple of games, Steve Smith frizzled out faster than anyone imagined to leave a gaping hole in Rajasthan Royals. The Royals could never really recover from the same, losing games in a cluster, and eventually ended up as the wooden spooner in the league. Steve Smith was really worried about his form, but what can be considered as brilliant news for the Australian fans and a sign of worry for the Indians, the former Aussie skipper revealed that he has found his mojo back in the nets.
"I was pretty disappointed actually with my batting throughout the IPL. I never really got into a good rhythm, but I think the last few days actually I've found something. People close to me that know me well, I've found my hands the last few days, which I'm extremely excited about,” ESPN Cricinfo quoted Smith as saying.
"It's taken me probably about three and half or fourth months to do it, but found them now, which is pleasing and I actually look forward to going back to the nets again this afternoon to have another hit and just reinforce it and get started again in a few days' time. Theoretically it is a simple thing, but it's just getting that feel and the look of the bat behind my toe the right way and the way my hands come up on the bat.”
"It's hard to explain but it just hasn't quite been right until probably two days ago, I found a little something and everything just clicked in. I had a big smile on my face after training the other day, because I walked past [Australia's senior assistant and also Rajasthan head coach] Andrew McDonald I think it was and said 'I found 'em again', I was really excited."
With the ODI and T20I series preceding the Test series, Smith will have to contribute in that front as well but given his disastrous IPL, he had a lot to make amends for. However, the batsman has confirmed that he has assessed his own game quite a bit, with an increased focus on his natural game rather than going bang-bang from the first over.
"I think for me in white-ball cricket, it's about playing my game in the way that I do it. I think in IPL I got a bit caught up with trying to be a bit too powerful and that's not quite my game I don't think.
"You know there are those players around the world who can hit sixes at will. I'm probably not one of those. For me it's about hitting proper cricket shots and hitting the gaps and manipulating the field as much as I can.
“I probably went away from that a bit throughout the IPL. I know that's the best way that I play. So keeping my thoughts clear and hitting the ball in my areas where I want to hit them. I still think there's a need for a player like that in the short form of the game that's for sure.”
The limited-over series between Australia and India starts from Friday in Sydney with the three-match ODI series to be followed by as many T20Is and four Tests.
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