Cricket World Cup: Steve Smith says India still have ‘mental scars’ from summer beatings

STEVE Smith claims India’s World Cup form has done nothing to heal the tourist’s “scars” from a summer of vicious beatings by Australia.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Mitchell Starc and Shane Watson of Australia celebrates taking the wicket of MS Dhoni of India during the One Day International match between Australia and India at Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 18, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

STEVE Smith has poured further fuel on Thursday’s crunch game against India by claiming World Cup form has done nothing to heal the tourist’s “scars” from a summer of vicious beatings by Australia.

The brilliant No.3 isn’t the first Australian player to insinuate India are still their bunnies, with the hosts pushing the mental game in the lead-up to the SCG showdown.

“I think we’ll have a little edge over them with a few scars from the matches throughout the summer,” said Smith.

“They didn’t beat us once.

“So I think that’s going to be playing on their mind a little bit.”

However, Smith admits Australia can’t afford to take India for granted given the sub-continental kings have now become accustomed to the local conditions.

He did stop short of commenting though on whether India had strolled through the Test and one-day series with the World Cup their chief focus.

“They’ve been here for a long time now, they’ve been able to get accustomed to the conditions – the bounce we’ve got here compared to India,” he said.

“Other than that I just think we need to do what we can do well to control that. If we do that I’ve no doubt it’s going to be a competitive game for us.”

Mitchell Starc took six wickets against India at the MCG back in January.

An afternoon of rainfall could be good news for Australia, with concerns over the pitch being too dry.

However, any moisture seeping beneath the surface may be negated by the fact there’s virtually no grass to speak of on the much-talked-about deck.

Smith has averaged an astonishing 92 in Test and one-day cricket since November, but even the unstoppable right hander is human.

Selector Mark Waugh claimed on television the other night that Smith was out of form during the early part of the tournament following a couple of low scores – including when he walked across his crease and had his leg stump removed in the warm-up game against India.

Smith has since adopted a new batting stance, which sees him take guard outside leg stump – something which has confused fellow batsmen Dave Warner and Michael Clarke when they’ve come down that end to take guard.

The 25-year-old star denies he was ever out of form.

Steve Smith claims he was never out of form despite some low scores.

“I just felt like I was out of sync a little bit with a few of my movements,” he said.

“But that’s back, my swing’s back where I want it to be, so hopefully I can continue crunching India around the park.

“I picked that up myself - I watched a bit of footage and saw where I was and got it back to where I want it.”

Smith says he is relishing his new home at No.3, gushing about batting with No.4 and skipper Clarke.

It’s a potential foreshadowing to Australia’s new Test order.

“I have always said I enjoy batting at three and with Pup at four we just like to take our time and knock the ball around and that will work well against India with their spinners bowling quite a few overs in the middle,” he said.