Steve Smith Reveals: 'Let Go Of Batting After Missing Mohammed Shami's Full Toss'

Steve Smith Reveals: 'Let Go Of Batting After Missing Mohammed Shami's Full Toss'

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Last Updated: June 08, 2025, 12:48 IST

Steve Smith has revealed that he stopped one of his favorite habits -- shadow batting -- immediately after he missed the full-toss against Mohammed Shami in the Champions Trophy.

Steve Smith losing his stumps to Mohammed Shami's full-toss in the 2025 Champions Trophy. (PC: AFP)

Australia star Steve Smith has revealed that he let go of one of his favorite things, shadow batting, after getting out to Mohammed Shami’s full-toss in the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final against India. Speaking in an interview on Sunday, he said he hadn’t ‘hit a ball’ after the incident in the lead-up to the World Test Championship summit clash against South Africa, which begins at Lord’s on June 11.

Smith’s wicket for 73 (96) in 37th over of the first innings was a pivotal moment in the game. Australia were bowled out for a slightly sub-par 264, which India chased down in the 49th over with only three wickets to spare. The right-hander retired from ODI cricket soon after and spent three months in New York, working on his fitness, away from several of his teammates who played T20 leagues or domestic cricket.

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“I’d normally have a bat laying around the house somewhere and just pick it up and do a bit of shadow batting and stuff. But I made a conscious decision to try and just let it go for a while. It was good. I hadn’t hit a ball since I missed a full toss off Mohammed Shami in the Champions Trophy.

“Fortunately, everything sort of clicked into place immediately. I feel like I’m moving really well, I feel strong and just ready to get into it now. Normally, how it works is my first hit’s good, my second hit’s awful, and then I’d get better from there. But both hits were just really good and I was like, hopefully it doesn’t turn around now and I don’t have to spend hours in the nets the next couple of days," Smith was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Smith also spoke about how Michael Hussey’s recent impact on his career, with the former Australia legend imbuing a ‘less is more’ philosophy into him during his form lull before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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“We’re a bit older, we’ve hit a lot of balls. It’s about having that mental side as switched on as it can be for the big moments. And you don’t want to use up all your energy in the nets. There’s a fine balance, of course. I’m someone that needs to feel really prepared.

“And I don’t want to leave any stone unturned in my preparation so that when I go to the middle, I’m ready to play. But I’ve also got to realise that the older you get, the mental side I think probably wears a little bit thinner on you. And you’ve got to try and be in the best space you can be in the middle to bat for long periods of time. Sometimes I might get the balance wrong. But when you’re hitting the ball well, you can sort of do what you want in terms of your preparation in a way. You can just let it be and trust that when you get to the middle, it’s all going to be okay," Smith said.

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First Published: June 08, 2025, 12:48 IST

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