Haren
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has backed batsman Steve Smith to have a good series against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting from November 22 at Perth. Smith scored 44 in the first ODI against Pakistan, an innings that Maxwell saw and felt would hold Smith in good stead ahead of the series.
“Steve Smith looks really crisp with his footwork and his timing and his movement looked in sync. He looked like he was unfazed by everything that was thrown at him. There were a couple of balls on the green off the length and he was able to deal with them quite easily. And I suppose that’s a really good sign of someone who is focused on the job and really in tune with their technique,” Maxwell said on Around the Cricket show on ESPN.
“To see him over the last week, putting in so many hours in training sort of says why he is one of the best players in the world. He is never satisfied. For the way he came out and bat the way he did, there was a nice moment where he hit a cover drive and you could see him looking at the big screen and give himself the nod of approval and that is a sign of him working on his tecnhnique and it is a scary proposition for this summer ahead,” he further added.
Smith spoke to Sen Radio about his preparations and said that he felt ready to play a Test match. “I’m ready. I’m ready now. Yeah, I could go out and play a Test match tomorrow, so I feel like I’m in a good place. I’ve had a really good week of training, came down here early and had a few hits. And I was just trying to get a few things right that I felt like I didn’t quite have in sync. And it all just clicked. And I feel like I’m in a good place now,” Smith said.
