IND v AUS 2020: 'I'll be good to go' - Steve Smith on his back injury
Australia batsman Steve Smith recently opened up on his nagging back injury, saying it won’t hinder his participation in the Boxing Day Test against India starting on Saturday (December 26). The visitors have a 1-0 lead after Virat Kohli’s men suffered an embarrassing 8-wicket defeat in Adelaide.
After having missed a day’s training in the lead-up to the pink-ball Test, Steve Smith was feeling “a little stiff” on Tuesday (December 22). But the former Australia captain confirmed that he has been able to keep any sudden deterioration at bay.
“It’s just something I need to manage whenever it goes and I probably haven’t had an episode since 2014, I think it was. So hopefully they can continue to be six years apart if they come. If I’m moving around and laying down, I’m good. If I sit around for too long it’s not great for it, but I’m not worried about it. I think everything will be fine and I’ll be good to go,” Steve Smith told reporters.
‘It’s like a dream come true' - Steve Smith on Boxing Day Tests
In addition to the recurring niggle, a sudden dip in form – especially against one of his favourite opponents India – is another problem facing Steve Smith. The Aussie No. 4 managed just 1 off 29 balls in the first innings before remaining unbeaten on a run-a-ball 1 in the second essay.
But Steve Smith’s eyes will surely light up at the prospect of playing the next two Tests at two of his happy hunting grounds – Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney Cricket Ground. While the 31-year-old boasts an average of 67.88 at his home ground in Sydney, he has scored 908 runs at a stunning average of 113.50 with four centuries in seven Boxing Day Tests.
Steve Smith himself echoed the same sentiment and added it is a different kind of feeling walking out to bat in the middle of a Boxing Day crowd.
“I like batting at the MCG...There’s nothing like the thrill and you get the shivers down your spine when you walk out to bat on Boxing Day with the crowd yelling, and it’s like a dream come true in a way,” Steve Smith concluded.
Virat Kohli will fly back to India in the coming days to attend the birth of his first child. India, under stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane, will look to get back to winning ways in the remaining three day Tests in Melbourne (Dec 26-30), Sydney (Jan 7-11) and Brisbane (Jan 15-19).