File photo of Steve Smith.
Steve Smith could be a devastating batsman to his rival once he gets going and that immensely reflects on his career graph where he has amassed over 7,000 runs scoring at an average close to 63. However, glimpses of his abilities have been hardly seen cricket resumed post COVID-19 lockdown.
Playing at the recently-concluded IPL 2020, the Rajasthan Royals skipper was a pale shadow of himself with 311 runs in the UAE while RR finished a bottom of the table. Featuring in T20I series against England before that in early September, Smith could only score 31 runs.
However, speaking to Australian media on Tuesday, the 31-year-old former Oz captain said that he is extremely excited about his batting over last two days a he has finally found his hands.
"People close to me that know me well, I've found my hands the last few days, which I'm extremely excited about," Smith was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald.
He further added that he has been feeling positive about his batting first time in four months and felt it took a while to get here because of the lockdown.
"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."
"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," Smith said.
"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. It changes where you meet the ball to hit the ball in certain places, so just slight things and bits of rhythm aren't quite right.
"I had a big smile on my face after training the other day, because I walked past Andrew McDonald I think it was and said 'I found 'em again', I was really excited. So it's taken me a lot longer than usual, I don't know why, whether it was a big (break), I pretty much didn't bat for about four months during the start of Covid-19, maybe a bit longer.
"So whether it's just taken me a bit longer to get them back, I don't really know, but I'm glad I've been able to find something the last few days and I'm excited about that."
To India's fear, Smith made a similar complaint weeks before the 2017/18 Ashes series in which he took England for 687 runs in an innings of 137; helping Australia regained the Ashes 4-0.
"I think so, the first Shield game or two I remember I was struggling with it, I didn't quite have my rhythm and just the way I was holding the bat wasn't quite right, so I remember I found it in the game against Western Australia at Hurstville Oval, something sort of clicked halfway through that innings I reckon, and then I was good to go and I was fine," Smith said.
"So I had a similar moment the other day, albeit in the nets, but I'm excited by it."
