Steve Smith reveals his one Ashes regret after epic series
Steve Smith’s incredible Ashes runscoring was matched by his steel in batting on after being felled by Jofra Archer at Lord’s. He won the admiration of the cricket world, but still has one lasting regret.
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The enthralling battle between Steve Smith and Jofra Archer ended in tears for the batsman because he narrowly missed out on etching his name on the Lord’s Honour Board.
Smith’s courageous 92 in last year’s Ashes Test was met with disappointment as he tossed his bat in the dressing room and sat with his head in his hands before being taken to hospital with concussion.
But it was the missed chance at history that landed a lasting blow on the No.4, who won the cricket world over with his unstoppable series.
“I unfortunately missed out on getting on the Honour’s Board at Lord’s,” Smith told the News Corp Australia in an exclusive interview.
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“I think that was the most disappointing thing for me, having battled the way I had and got to 92. Getting out then, that was disappointing.”
Smith became the 232nd Test batsman to etch his name on the Lord’s board when he smashed 215 back in 2015.
But he spoke to coach Justin Langer – who never made a century at the home of cricket – before play about doubling-up on that achievement, which would’ve ensure his famous stretch of form lived forever at the famous ground.
“Langer said, ‘Are you going to get on the honour’s board this game?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’d like to. I feel like I’m batting well, so good chance’,” Smith said.
“I got hit in the arm (by IPL teammate Archer) and then hit in the neck and just went through all the protocols and the concussion rules now.
“I went out to bat and was struggling a bit with my arm, so I slogged a couple and left one not very well off Woakesy (Chris Woakes).
“He bowled me an inswinger, which I’d never seen from him before. He normally stands the seam up or swings them away. He gave me an inswinger which I hadn’t seen before and got me.
“It wasn’t to be.”
Pakistan was spared a large look at Smith due to Australia’s top-order’s domination this summer, although New Zealand got to work on the right-hander after he averaged 110.6 in England.
Spirited bowler Neil Wagner captured Smith’s wicket four times in five innings with his short-ball barrage and leg-side trap appearing to work.
That plan was copied in white-ball cricket on Friday night when India’s pace attack hammered it in short, particularly early in Smith’s knock of 98.
“It was a pretty clear plan. I had to think about that and think how I wanted to play,” Smith said.
“I got a few away, but I probably didn’t feel great the first 20 balls I was at the crease, and then I started to find a bit of rhythm and feel a bit better.”
Smith crawled to three off 16 balls before punching Navdeep Saini for three boundaries in four deliveries to ignite his best ODI score in three years.
Smith wasn’t required to bat in the first ODI – “it’s sort of been my summer, hasn’t it? I’ve sat there watching a lot of cricket” – but when he is at the crease there’s a simple path into his mindset.
Look for the fidgets. The twitches. The idiosyncrasies. Every tug of the collar or pull of the shirt is a sign that Smith is entering beast mode, because those mannerisms double as a runs gauge.
“I don’t know how to explain them. I’ve always done them,” Smith said.
“I’ve always had twitches and have to touch certain things. It’s always just been a part of the way I’ve played.
“Sometimes when I’m really in the zone I even go the extra level and do some pretty rare stuff, which you probably saw throughout the Ashes with the way I was leaving the ball and things like that.
“That’s when you know that I’m on and really in a zone of my own and ready to do what I need to do.”
Smith’s Star Wars-esque light sabre leaves went viral on social media during the Ashes and plenty came off little sleep.
But Smith had a healthy six or seven hours before Friday’s game in Rajkot, with white-ball games requiring far less medical assistance to get some shut eye.
Last summer Smith was well-rested as he watched on television India become the first Asian team to ever win a Test series in Australia.
Next summer a chance at redemption awaits, and Virat Kohli has already conceded that India’s historic 2-1 win was fool’s gold given the absence of Smith, Warner and sudden emergence of Marnus Labuschavne.
“Obviously Davey and I weren’t there (last summer),” Smith said.
“For me looking on it was hard to see the boys lose to India and just not being able to do anything about it.
“Next summer’s going to be pretty cool.”
Kohli has flagged that India is finally open to playing a day-night Test, although Smith gets tickled pink every time the red ball comes out.
“I find the pink ball a little bit harder to pick up,” Smith said in December, telling Langer it was akin to a lottery.
“It comes off the bat a bit like a tennis ball in a way. I feel like my timing is not on as much with the pink one as opposed to the red or the white ones.”
Smith said he was up for one pink-ball Test against Kohli’s men because “one lottery is good”.
Before that challenge awaits Sunday night’s ODI series decider in Bangalore and then, after a six-year absence, a Big Bash return for the man who captained Sydney Sixers to the inaugural championship.
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At both levels Smith can expect warm receptions, the kind the public has yet to completely offer Warner.
Not that Smith would know.
“Honestly, I can hear a couple of things at times, but I’ve learnt now just to not listen to anything,” he said.
“I just stay in my own little place and not worry about anything else around me. I don’t care about other people’s opinions, that’s water under the bridge for me and it’s irrelevant for me.
“If I’m staying in my own present and happy with what I’m doing then I trust that everything’s going to be good and OK.”
Originally published as Steve Smith reveals his one Ashes regret after epic series