“Is it actually helping you?” - Michael Hussey’s advice to out-of-form batter ahead of BGT 2024-25 3rd Test
Former Australian batter Michael Hussey questioned the out-of-form Steve Smith over-practicing to rediscover his batting touch ahead of the all-important third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test. With the five-match series tied at 1-1, India and Australia will face off in the third Test at Brisbane, starting Saturday, December 14.
Meanwhile, Smith has been in dismal form in Tests this year, averaging 23.20 in seven outings with a lone half-century in 13 innings. His form in the ongoing series hasn't been much better, with only 19 runs at an average of 6.33 in three innings.
Speaking to Cricket.com.au, Hussey revealed his advice to Smith:
"I just really observed his preparation. It's well documented that him and Marnus in particular, they hit a lot of balls, they practice really hard and they do a great deal of preparation. And I just said (to Smith), 'It's worth just thinking about how much you hit, and is it actually helping you, or is it slightly detrimental?'. I think as a young player, volume is really important."
"But as you get older, I certainly found from my own perspective, it wasn't about hitting more balls and working yourself into the ground. It was more about coming into games as mentally and physically fresh as you possibly can. My concern was, especially over a five-Test series, is he doing more harm than good by just maybe losing a little bit of mental or physical edge? In Test match cricket, against a good attack, you're going to get found out," he added.
Despite his recent struggles, Smith boasts an incredible Test record with 9,704 runs at an average of over 56 in 111 matches.
The 35-year-old has also dominated India in Tests with an average of 60.61 in 21 games.
"In an ideal world, I probably wouldn't hit as many balls as I do in the lead-up" - Steve Smith
Steve Smith agreed with Michael Hussey's remarks on not over-practicing in the build-up to a Test match.
The champion batter has been dismissed by the Indian pacers on all three occasions in the ongoing series - twice by Jasprit Bumrah and once by Mohammed Siraj.
He told Cricket.com.au:
"In an ideal world, I probably wouldn't hit as many balls as I do in the lead-up … it's just if I need to feel a bit better with something or work on a certain movement, or whatever I might need that last session. I do that every now and again, if I feel like I'm batting well and I've got everything that I need out of my sessions."
"Last game, for instance, I didn't train the day before," Smith says. "I felt good. It was a hot day, so I didn't want to fatigue myself mentally, and I wanted to give myself every chance of having enough in the tank to go and hopefully score a big one, which didn't happen (laughs)," Smith added.
Smith will be buoyed by his excellent overall Test record in Brisbane, where averages almost 55 with three centuries in 10 games.