Even before the Frank Worrell Trophy had reached its anticlimactic conclusion, Steve Smith was already preparing for his next challenge.
On Sunday morning, when Australia still needed six wickets to secure a 2-0 series whitewash over the West Indies, Smith was in the Adelaide Oval nets facing throwdowns from the coaching staff with the red Kookaburra, preparing for the upcoming Test series against South Africa.
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“Had a hit against the red ball this morning in preparation, just changing from the pink, so the focus can now completely go to South Africa,” Smith explained to reporters later that day.
“I can’t wait.”
Alongside him in the adjacent next was, surprise surprise, Marnus Labuschagne.
The pair’s relentless pursuit of improvement is why they’re currently the world’s top two ranked Test batters.
Although Labuschagne is yet to face his country of birth in the Test arena, Smith’s rivalry with the Proteas is already shrouded in controversy and infamy.
It was during Australia’s most recent Test series against South Africa that Smith’s Test career derailed following the ball-tampering saga, losing the captaincy and copping a 12-month ban from professional cricket.
The 33-year-old’s Test record against the Proteas is reasonable but uncharacteristically unremarkable. He averages 41.52 with the bat in nine matches against South Africa — the lowest for any side he has played at least three Tests against.
He has only passed triple figures once against the South Africans, his 100 at Centurion in February 2014, going 16 consecutive knocks without a century since.
STEVE SMITH’S TEST BATTING AVERAGES AGAINST OPPONENTS
150.40 v West Indies
72.58 v India
59.68 v England
58.23 v New Zealand
54.50 v Pakistan
49.75 v Sri Lanka
41.53 v South Africa
29.75 v Bangladesh
While Smith was largely untroubled by the West Indies’ seamers over the past fortnight — Alzarri Joseph was the only player capable of consistently nudging 140km/h — he knows the Proteas’ pace attack is a different kettle of fish, admitting they’ve had his measure in the past.
Kagiso Rabada has dismissed Smith three times in Tests: Twice caught behind in 2016 and once LBW in 2018, the latter of which culminated in threats of ICC sanction after the pair brushed shoulders during the wicket celebration.
Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj has also knocked over Smith thrice, including for a duck at the WACA in November 2016.
“South Africa’s probably the one team that have bowled pretty well to me in the past, my record’s probably not quite as good against them as some of the others,” Smith told reporters at Adelaide Oval on Sunday afternoon.
“Some of the bowlers I’m going to come up against again that I’ve come up against previously. South Africa have got (Anrich) Norjte bowling 150kph, Rabada 140-150 bowling slightly different, and then a left-armer in (Marco) Jansen as well, and a good spinner in Maharaj.
“They’re a really good attack, so it’s going to be a good challenge for our batters, and hopefully we can continue the way we’ve started the summer.
“I’m really looking forward to the series like everyone else and hopefully can get into a nice groove and contribute and score some runs.
“I feel in a good place. I feel like I’m batting nicely, feel in good rhythm and I’m looking forward to it.”
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The 2018 Test series in South Africa was headlined by several on and off-field scandals, which are well-documented: David Warner’s dressing room confrontation with Quinton de Kock, Nathan Lyon’s tasteless run-out celebration and, of course, the Cape Town ball-tampering saga.
Nearly five years later, Smith is adamant there’s no lingering animosity between the two nations.
“The cricket we’ve played over the last four and a half years we’ve played in the right way, we’ve been hard and played in the right spirit,” Smith said.
“So for us nothing changes, we’re just going to continue to go about our business and hopefully play good, entertaining cricket.”
South African captain Dean Elgar echoed Smith’s sentiments earlier in the week, asserting the Proteas harbour no ill feelings.
“It was a very tough time for all of us, even though we weren’t the guys who took the brunt of everything. But we were part of that,” he told reporters.
“They were sad events, but I don’t have animosity towards the players involved or CA. They were unfortunate scenes but that period has long elapsed and we’ve moved forward.
“I wish things could have been a lot different. The history, when it comes to Test cricket between South Africa and Australia, is so rich. The competitive nature is very similar. We both want to go out and play a brand of cricket that our countries can be proud of. It was extremely juicy, even building up to that game in Cape Town. They were interesting times.”
The series opener between Australia and South Africa gets underway at the Gabba on Saturday, with the first ball scheduled for 11.20am AEDT.
