Australia’s Steve Smith celebrated after reaching his century against India on Day 2 of the Third Test match at Gabba.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A sense of relief was palpable as Steve Smith sat down for his media interaction at the Gabba on Sunday (December 15, 2024). The cap low-slung on him, eyes blinking a bit to adjust to the light, and a half-smile creasing his face, the former Australian captain expressed his satisfaction over the ton and for having contributed to the team.

Discussing his 101 in the third Test, Smith said: “It was nice to get to three figures. It has been a while. It was cool to contribute to the team. It has been tricky in the first couple of games. Had a couple of nice balls and got strangled down the leg side in Adelaide. I have been batting well the last month. It was kind of sticking to my processes, trusting that it will turn around. I got a bit of luck early on and made the most of it.”

As for his aggressive fellow-centurion Travis Head, Smith said: “If we can sort of get to 30-odd overs when Travis comes in, it makes a big difference to the team. I think the seam probably starts to settle around 30, 40 overs and the ball stays quite hard. And you see guys batting at five, six and seven are able to get value for their shots. Fortunate that Travis and I could stand up today.”

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And what about the change in his batting stance? “I have changed my set-up in pretty much every game I have played for the last 15 years. I figure the best way to play on each surface. This one is a pretty bouncy track. So I was batting out of my crease a little bit, trying to get at the bowler, going across my stance, but leaving my left leg a little bit open,” Smith said.