By Andrew Wu
Nottingham: A defiant Steve Smith insists he will not change his approach against England's speed demon Jofra Archer, adamant that the man who floored him at Lord's does not have the upper hand on him.
Barring any mishap at the team's training session in Derby on Wednesday, Australia's run machine will make his return to the game in the visitors' three-day tour game against county side Derbyshire starting on Thursday with the view of playing in the fourth Test at Old Trafford next week.
The tour match is crucial in the selection of the fourth Test XI with one of Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja and Matthew Wade to make way for Smith.
The former captain has done everything asked of him by the Australian medical staff, including brisk walking to jogging on a treadmill then high-speed running. He returned to the nets on Saturday, where he faced seamers Michael Neser and Mitchell Marsh.
Archer is considerably quicker than the Australian pair and delivered 16 balls in a row above 144 km/h at Lord's in one of the fastest spells by an English paceman in the past 14 years.
Smith had been untroubled by England's bowlers in the first Test, but was decidedly less comfortable against Archer, who landed a nasty blow on the Australian's elbow before stunning him with a bouncer that left him concussed. If Smith is at all rattled by Archer, he is not showing it.
"I'm not really going to change anything," Smith said. "There's been a bit of talk that he's got the wood over me, but he hasn't actually got me out.
Steve Smith bats in the Headingley nets in preparation for the fourth Test.Credit: Getty Images
"He hit me on the head on a wicket that was a bit up and down at Lord's.
"He actually didn't get me out so all the other bowlers have had more success against me, I dare say. I've faced them a bit more, but they've all got me out a lot more.
"I'm pretty comfortable with that. Now it's just about getting out there and playing the game."
While England's fast men do not want to see Smith hurt, as professionals they would be remiss not to at least test him with the short ball.
Smith says he would not be disturbed if England unleashed a barrage of bumpers, which may imperil his safety more so than his wicket.
"If they're bowling up there it means they can't nick me off, or hit me on the pad or hit the stumps," Smith said. "With the Dukes ball, I don't know, that's an interesting ploy. So we'll see what happens."
Smith was encouraged by his form during his net session at Headingley on Saturday, but knows he has work to do in the next week to reset the fidgety movements that are so important to his game.
"It's a look thing for me – when it looks right behind my foot that's when I know I'm good to go and I usually say it straight away to Hicky, 'I'm good. I'm on fire here. That's good, we're ready to play'," Smith said. "I want to get that back and then try and freshen up for the Test match and be in a frame of mind when I can bat for a long time again."
Smith returns to a side that is regrouping after being stunned by Ben Stokes' brutal century in the third Test, which propelled England to a series-levelling victory.
The former captain sent Nathan Lyon a consolatory message after the spinner's fumble denied Australia a run out that would have ended the match.
"He was a bit down after the game I just said my year out has given me a lot of perspective that that's all it is, it's just a game," Smith said. "And whilst it's important on many levels to win and to play the right way and to do all those kind of things, ultimately it's just a game. I think that helped him a little bit."