Test star Steve Smith has given a subtle backhander to the early critics who questioned his move to open the batting in the Test team after “two or three innings” having silenced them with an unbeaten 91 at the Gabba.
It came as the veteran batter revealed out-of-sorts teammate Marnus Labuschagne would squeeze in a Sheffield Shield match before the next tour of England having fallen victim to the curse of trying “a little bit too hard” to address his form slump.
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Smith, who was elevated to the top after the retirement of David Warner, at his request, recorded scores of 12 and 11 not out in the first Test against the West Indies.
But when he was dismissed LBW for just six in the first innings in Brisbane, his move was put in the spotlight despite having more than 9500 Test runs in the bank.
The 34-year-old then almost single-handedly guided Australia to victory, making 91 not out and carrying his bat for the first time since Warner in 2015, and said the critics went too hard, too soon.
“There was a lot of commentary around I’d failed in two or three innings or whatever it was, I had a not out and two low scores,” he said at the MCG on Wednesday ahead of captaining Australia in Friday’s first ODI.
“And now I think I’m averaging 60 as an opener.
“I didn’t really read too much into it. It was just another position. I’ve batted against a new ball numerous times, coming in early, so, for me, it’s just a position I’m just playing and that’s it.”
Smith didn’t know whether he’d finished his stunning Test career as an opener but said he was “enjoying it up top”.
“I’ll bat really wherever the team needs me to. I’m comfortable up top, I’ve enjoyed the first couple of weeks of it,” he said.
“I don’t know if they see fit to move me back down or what, I’ll do whatever the team needs, but for now, I’m enjoying it up top.”
Labuschagne is not enjoying life up the top as much, averaging just 6.33 in the two Tests against the Windies, scoring just 19 runs in four innings.
Coach Andrew McDonald said Labuschagne was “due” as he backed him in for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, locking in the entire top six.
Smith said his teammate was getting lost in the quest for perfection and urged him to not “overthink” things, with the potential to find some form in the ODI series as well as for Queensland.
“I think he’ll be the first to admit that he probably hasn’t got the scores on the board that he would have liked, but I think he feels like he’s batting well and we know how good of a player he is,” Smith said.
“I think as batters we’re always sort of searching for that perfection, and sometimes when you do try that little bit too hard it makes it that little bit further away.
“He’s definitely a thinker, sometimes maybe an overthinker, which I’ve said to him as well.
“It’s about sort of going to the basics and trusting yourself and doing all the work you want to do in the nets. But when you get out in the middle, it’s just about focusing on that ball coming down at you and playing each one to the best of your ability.”
Smith said it was “not possible” for Labuschagne to hit any more balls in the nets, and he needed to make every innings count.
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