“I’m back baby”.
This three word declaration, picked up by the Fox Cricket cameras during Australia’s victory over England in the first ODI at Adelaide Oval, should be a warning to rivals.
Steve Smith is back.
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The Aussie run machine has endured a run of indifferent form over the past 18 months but on Thursday night he looked like the Steve Smith that plundered opposition bowling attacks for years on end.
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The twitches were still there but the exaggerated movements, which had become noticeably more exaggerated in recent times, seemed calmer.
This was never more evident than when Smith unfurled an exquisite cover drive during his unbeaten innings of 80.
As he walked to greet batting partner David Warner in the middle of the pitch, cameras picked up a grinning Steve Smith’s comment.
Reading Smith’s lips, Aussie great Mike Hussey said: “That’s ominous, too, for this summer. The hunger will be there.”
SEN Cricket’s Gerard Whateley, meanwhile, said the “grace and style” of Smith had returned.
“That is rather glorious,” Whateley said on SEN’s coverage.
“Grace and style from Steve Smith, it’s all flowing.
“This is what I’m hoping for across the summer. He’s the most interesting commodity in the Australian team coming into the summer.
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“It’s unrealistic to think that he will get back to ‘that’ form that he carried through three summers where he was like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
“I don’t think he re-establishes that, but I feel like he’s still capable of better than his past”
During a drinks break, Smith was asked by the Fox Cricket commentary team what he had changed in his game.
“Lots,” he replied with a smile, before joking: “I’m actually using the middle of the bat for once.”
He added: “I’m just standing a lot stiller, not moving as much, every now and again if I kind of want to, but keeping myself side-on.
“I think when I’m playing cover drives like those and getting my weight back through the ball, that’s when I know I’m hitting it well.
“It felt like I was moving a bit far (across), and getting a bit front on, and I was just limiting a few areas I could score and wasn’t feeling overly comfortable, but I feel good at the moment.”
