For a man who’s built his legacy on obsessive practice and endless hours in the nets, Steve Smith has taken a surprisingly hands-off approach to prepare for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. Since Australia’s Champions Trophy exit in March, which quietly marked the end of his ODI career, Smith hadn’t touched a bat. While some played in the IPL, others spent time honing skills at the County Championship. But Smith was relaxed and took a rest.
Instead, he recharged in New York, worked with a personal trainer, and resisted the urge to shadow bat at home. “I feel as strong as I’ve probably been since maybe 2014,” he said ahead of the final. “I walked out of my first hit (1st practice session three days ago) and told Ron (Australia coach Andrew McDonald), ‘Can we play tomorrow? I’m ready to go.”
Steve Smith is ready for the WTC Final
This minimalist method hasn’t dulled his edge. With four centuries in his last five Tests, Smith comes in riding a wave of form and experience. He also credits his physical improvements, especially around his hips, for sharper slip fielding and renewed batting movement. For someone with 10,271 Test runs and an average nearing 57, even a slight edge might spell trouble for opponents.
“I feel like my hips are probably as good as they’ve been in a long time. I feel like I’m getting a lot lower which I think will benefit me in the slips potentially. I made sure my bat was away (in New York). I had my golf clubs out and I was using them a little bit.
“I’d normally have a bat laying around the house somewhere and just pick it up and do a bit of shadow batting. But I made a conscious decision to try and just let it go for a while, and it was good.”
Australia may still be ironing out their final batting order, with Cameron Green’s return creating a shuffle. But one constant remains: Smith at No.4. Though he briefly opened after Warner’s retirement, his most lethal self has always emerged in the middle order. Against South Africa, Smith has 854 runs in 21 innings at a steady average of 44.94.
