From Leg-Spinner to The Greatest of His Era, Steve Smith Scripts His Own Fairytale

Steve Smith started his story as a leg-spinner back in 2010. He was seen as a successor to Shane Warne with Australia playing musical chairs for the lead-spinner role. While Steve Smith played his first Test in 2010, his true career as a batter began in 2013, when he made his maiden century at number six. Up until then, Smith the batter was not one to be taken seriously. His mannerisms, the shuffle and the awkward stance went from one which was not meant to be taken seriously to not be taken lightly.

His true moment came in 2014 when Smith facing an attack that had the likes of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, made a commanding hundred to save Australia who were 98 four 4 when he walked in. It was a knock he enjoyed and the floodlights opened from there on as he proved his ability to play in all conditions.

He went on to assume Test Captaincy in 2014, when Michael Clarke was injured and he solely haunted and beat the Indian Team which visited in 2014. With 760 odd runs he was commanding as the summer of Steve Smith went on to leave India with memories that continue to haunt them. Over the course of that series, he took his average past 50 for the first time and has kept it their up until today. He conquered England with the bat for the first time with a prolific Ashes series in 2015, despite Australia losing the series and it was after that series was Smith took over as full-time captain.

His continue continued to rise with Steve Smith conquering India as well, leading the run-scoring charts in 2016 and annoying the Indian Team yet again. His captaincy tenure too was going well with Smith winning the Ashes at home in 2017, but it was after that where his downfall and potentially a career-ending incident occurred.

Leading in South Africa, Steve Smith was involved in a ball-tampering incident leading to his getting banned for a year. A player who loved batting and loved playing for Australia was out of the side for an year and also underwent an elbow surgery for a tennis elbow injury in the same period. His return to the Australian team looked in question, but Steve Smith put it all to rest as he roared back into the team with his most prolific series yet.

Playing in the 2019 Ashes, Steve Smith battled hostile crowds and some intimidating pace bowling from Jofra Archer to make 774 runs in four matches. His average went to its highest point at 64, as he announced his return and consolidated his position as the greatest Test batter of his era. Shortly after that series though, Steve Smith went through another slump. He did not make a century for more than two years after that, going century less from January 2021 to August 2022.

Bowlers seemed to work him out as his strike rate fell, but after his century in Galle the floodgates opened once again. From there on Smith came back with some prolific innings, haunting India once more with a match-winning century in the WTC Finals, leading up to the Ashes where he has another century against a side that has no answers to the genius of Steve Smith.

An aspect that often goes unnoticed though is Smith’s work in the back. He loves the game, he thrives on comfort, and carries a whole set of gloves and bats wherever he goes. Bowlers spend days trying to work him out and with his shuffle, they do tend to find slight kinks in his armor as well. He consistently shifted from a back and across technique which helps him counter short-balls to a technique that also helps him play spin well.

In 2019 sides did target him with the short ball when Neil Wagner seemed to have exposed him with the short ball. Steve Smith though moved back to his technique of shuffling to find runs yet again despite bowlers targetting his chest.

Coming into his 100th Test, Steve Smith hopes to cap off an extraordinary career with a win that will take him to his first series win in England. At 34, his future is uncertain, with Steve Smith likely to play a few more years. However, another Ashes tour looks unlikely at the moment, and Steve Smith will want to make the most of the chance he has here as he hopes to win an Ashes series outright in England.