Steve Smith indulges in special practice session ahead of Pakistan tour

Steve Smith is one of the biggest names in Test cricket in the last decade and has broken a lot of records in his prime. The 32-year-old had mediocre Ashes last year with 244 runs in five Tests at an average of 30.50 and did not look at his very best. The vice-captain will have a different challenge coming up in Pakistan, a country where he hasn’t yet claimed dominance as this will be the first tour for Australia to Pakistan since 1998.

Smith has all the experience of playing in subcontinent pitches similar to Pakistan and has done really well in those conditions including India. However, the conditions have changed in Pakistan in recent times, and are no longer the spin dominant wickets although they still have a big role to play. South Africa toured the nation in 2021 for a two-match Test series and the visitors lost the series 1-0 although the conditions played really well for fast bowlers.

However, Australia is coming off a thumping Ashes series victory and riding high on confidence. Smith, in particular, has had an excellent record against Pakistan with 755 runs at an average of 53.92 in Tests with two centuries and five half-centuries. The right-hander does know the importance of preparations ahead of a subcontinent tour and he took up the challenge of facing spinners with rough spots which went viral around social media.

Here’s the video of Steve Smith’s preparations for the Pakistan series

Spinners have always thrived on rough patches in the pitch and it can be very difficult for the batters to cope with it. Smith was seen using his feet in the video to get rid of the uneven bounce and he was happy to be playing close to the body which is the best technique in spin-friendly conditions.

The first Test between both Australia and Pakistan will be played on March four at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium while the second and third Tests will take place in Karachi and Lahore respectively.