Steven Peter Devereux Smith- A Batting Freak or A Run Machine?

Steven Peter Devereux Smith- A Batting Freak or A Run Machine?: Sanath Jayasuriya, Virender Sehwag and Steve Smith all have a common connection. All came into the international scene as bowlers but later went on to take the job of batting more seriously. Steve Smith has not yet made it to the elite league that Sanath and Sehwag form a part of, but is without a doubt one of the best in the business right now. And what’s more a solid proof than the rankings to back the claim.

Steve Smith’s 913 points are higher than Sachin, Lara, Amla or Clarke ever reached. That speaks volumes of the peak of form that this man is in and the skill he possesses with a cricket bat in hand. Smith has risen in stature and has grown steadily, evolving as an indispensable batsman for Australia in all three formats. He averages over 40 in ODI’s and over 50 in tests a testimony to his incredible dexterity and laudable temperament that he placed him in greater heights.

Steven has replaced Ricky Ponting as the new no.3 batsman in tests for Australia. Filling in the huge shoes of a legend like Ricky Ponting is obviously tough but Steve Smith has made a name for himself and has announced himself as someone who can compete with the best of best in world cricket. He was the leading wicket taker in the 2008 KFC big bash and was roped in the side initially for his leg spin bowling abilities. But those days are bygone. Now Steven Smith is a batsman, a top class batsman. Having said that, I have to add that he is not the most technically sound player and has lot of minor inadequacies in his technique. His footwork is not the greatest and experiences trouble while facing bounce.

Smith himself has admitted that Morne Morkel was the toughest bowler he had faced owing to the bounce that he generates. But notwithstanding his technical shortcomings what distinctly separates him from the rest is his steely resolve and unrivaled temperament. He has a high back lift and exposes his leg stump as he shuffles across while reaching the ball and has a rather unusual batting stance. Smith’s diligent effort and great zeal for the game has enabled him to compensate for his minor weaknesses.

Lot of credit for Smith’s success goes to Trent Woodhill, his mentor who first identified him at the grass root level. He is a complete cricketer in the sense that he bowls well, is an excellent batsman and also is one of the best fielders. While on the field he shows incredible agility, quick reflexes and swift speed. Having made his debut in 2010, Steve Smith has now succeeded in becoming the vice captain of the team and also has captained his side victoriously for a short period of time when Michael Clarke was injured. That bears witness to his leadership qualities as well.

His batting style is weird as well as unique. What is intriguing about his batting style is that he moves around the crease frequently with a splendid hand-eye co-ordination and relies on timing. He is a busy player, and we rarely see Smith’s strike rate drop low as he continues to rotate the strike, when the boundaries dry down. After 2011, Smith did not play another test for two years as he was considered tailor made for limited overs cricket. But to everyone’s surprise Smith showed his class and proved his mettle in the longest format as well and that he is good enough to handle the red ball with ease.

Smith played his 1st test after two years at Mohali where he struck a wonderful 92. Since then he has been a regular in the Australian line up. Steve Smith has over 2500 test runs in just 28 matches and has 9 centuries to his name with an astounding average of 56. Australia have never lost a test match in which he has scored a ton. That reflects the fact how influential his batting has been and how it has a bearing on the result of the game.

Smith scored over 700 runs which included 4 hundreds, in a 4-match test series against India in 2014 and joined the elite league of players who have scored over 1000 runs in a calendar year. He also reached his highest score of 199 against West Indies in 2015 and helped his side prevail over the Caribbeans. The 26 year old still has at least a decade of cricket left in him and if he continues his superb run of form, we are sure to see another batting legend grace the gentleman’s game from Australia.