Captain Steven Smith optimistic about Australia's new dawn in Test cricket

Steven Smith

Australia’s newest Test skipper Steven Smith is all set to essay his new role, when Australia take on a strong Bangladesh side, in a few days time. Smith will lead a new team sans Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson and Chris Rogers, who have all retired from Test cricket, and will be hoping his young team would rise up to the occasion.

The most important thing Australia and Smith will be wary of is adapting to overseas conditions quickly. “I’ll be telling the boys over and over again to adapt. Adapt to the conditions, the opposition, their technique and their game plans. We need to be able to play just as well in Chittagong or Edgbaston as we do in Perth or Melbourne”, he said in his column at cricket.com.au.

Australia have had a hectic schedule since the beginning of this year, having played the World Cup at home, then the IPL in India, followed by a series in West Indies and then the England tour. Smith and co will have a short 10-day break, before they fly over to play Bangladesh.

The skipper said he would cherish the little break in between. “Ten days doesn’t sound like much, but after being on the road consistently since the Indian Premier League in April, through to the Caribbean and all over the UK, that stretch of time will be amazing.” he said.

Smith feels the main goal at this stage would be to play well and win, “Australia has struggled to win Test series away from home in recent times, as have most teams, and one of my main goals as captain is to play better and win away from our own backyard.”

On the young team, Smith remarks that he is excited to play with newbies like Cameron Bancroft and Andrew Fekete. “The Test squad we’ll be taking to Bangladesh is an inexperienced one full of fresh faces, but in my eyes that’s exciting. The squad features two uncapped players in Cameron Bancroft and Andrew Fekete. I haven’t seen a whole lot of Fekete, but from what I hear he played well on the subcontinent for Australia A last month and can extract reverse swing which will be a major weapon for our quicker men.”, he said.

Spinners will play a crucial role: Smith

Playing in the sub-continent, Smith feels spinners will have an important role to play and hinted that he could play two spinners. “With wickets that are likely to be conducive to spin, there’s a possibility we could play two spinners and two allrounders in the starting XI”, he stated.

Asked about his own batting position, the 26-year old said he was unsure and said he would consult coach Darren Lehmann on different options. “I’m not entirely sure whether I’ll be staying at No.3 or move down a spot to second-drop. I’ll work with Darren Lehmann and see what’s best for the team, but I can tell you I won’t be going any lower than four.”, he quipped.

About his new squad, Smith seemed optimistic about Australia’s chances and felt that the new generation of Test cricketers would have to prove themselves. “Bangladesh is going to be a tough but an exciting series. We’re entering a generational change in Australian cricket, one where young players can write their own scripts and try to contribute to winning games of cricket for Australia”, he concluded.