Australia’s big batsman Steve Smith has spoken about the moment he had confidence in his batsmanship. He said that until he scored his fourth Test hundred, he did not realize the potential of him as a batsman.
Steve Smith, who started his career spinning legs, is now one of the best Test batsmen in the world of cricket. Having scored 9,113 runs in 99 Tests at an average of 59.56, he has conquered world cricket with his uncanny skill with the bat.
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Steve Smith has smashed 32 tons along with 37 half centuries and also recently became the fastest batsman to complete 9,000 runs in Test cricket, achieving the milestone in 174 innings. He is about to get his 100th Test cap as he is currently part of the Australian team for Ashes 2023.
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Steve Smith scored a magnificent hundred in the Lord’s Test, but his first Test came against England in 2013 and then followed it up with two more centuries against the same opponents in the Ashes. However, his fourth century was something that caught the attention of many.
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Steve Smith posted a blistering pitch against the likes of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander on a difficult South African ground at Centurion in 2014. He himself feels that scoring runs against these bowlers gave him a lot of confidence. Speaking to reporters, he said:
“I probably didn’t feel like I could do it until my fourth century, which was at Centurion against the South African line-up of Morkel, Steyn, Philander and Ryan McLaren. Particularly the first three, they were tremendous bowlers. They had great races. And being able to score a hundred against them gave me a lot of confidence to know that I belong at this level.
“That was probably the first time I felt it. From there I was quite confident in my ability. He knew what he wanted to do and how he wanted to play. I was just playing the game and enjoying it and trying to score as many runs as I could.”
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Ashes 2023: “I’ll take it game by game”, Steve Smith on his future
Steve Smith, who will play his 100th Test on Thursday, said he is unsure about his future and will play game by game. Currently, he seeks to improve and contribute to the team. He explained:
“I don’t know. I’m not sure. I’ll take it game by game. Just have fun in between. And as long as I’m having fun and I feel like I can improve and contribute to the team, and I feel good helping the team, I’ll keep playing.”
Australia currently leads the Ashes series 2-0. They would be looking to win the third game and clinch the series for the first time since 2001 in England.
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