For the duration of time that covered Ricky Ponting’s career, opportunities to grab batting positions in a powerful Australian line-up were limited.
When they were, competition for them was fierce and players were not often given the benefit of time to establish themselves.
As a result players like Matt Hayden, Damien Martyn and Justin Langer took two or three opportunities to make a position their own and others, like Darren Lehmann, Brad Hodge and Stuart Law played less Test matches then their talent suggested they would.
We are not in that same situation now. Arguably, there are three, maybe more positions up for grabs in this batting line-up. The question is, can Steve Smith make one this own?
The saying ‘his reputation preceded him’ is particular relevant to cricket where many exceptional cricketers have a quiet or average end to their careers. However, is there a saying of ‘his reputation succeeded him’? Steve Smith is one such player who fits this description.
Smith made his debut three years ago and had a run of five Tests. While showing some promise with a 70 and a couple of 30s he didn’t do enough to cement a position. Averaging in the high 20+ region saw him drop out of the team for the first time. Back then, he was part of our search for an all-rounder and his bowling also let him down in his first stint.
Apart from looking ungainly and unorthodox in the same way that Phil Hughes does, his technique appealed a little loose. In particularly, his defence, where he tended to bring his bat down from a gully direction, instead of the more compact, behind the ball position of the likes of Steve Waugh and Hussey made him look like a player that needed to work on his technique.
Going back to State cricket, Smith got to work on tightening this technique, pulling back on the flair and on scoring more runs consistently. Whether intentionally or not, Smith seems to have let his bowling slip away in order to focus on becoming a quality batsman.
In watching his innings in India he appears to have developed into a quality batsman. In two Test matches he averaged 40, but more importantly he looked composed and able to occupy the crease, something that most of the other batsman didn’t.
While it is been said that that is because he is arguably the second best player of spin in the country behind Clarke, I think we have understated his maturity and overall improved technique in his batting.
Smith has improved greatly since his first stint in the Australia team and looks a far more mature and composed batsman. It is my assertion that the public perception of him has lagged his development and he will prove to be a stable and quality player, as a batsman alone, for Australia going forward.
This Ashes series will make or break careers of some of the Australians and this includes Smith. He has the opportunity to cement a position. Will he take it?
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