Since being cleaned up by a full toss from Mohammed Shami in Australia’s Champions Trophy semi-final loss to India in March, Steve Smith has been out of cricket.

The pillar of Australia’s Test batting unit had been in New York during his time off before returning to join the squad in London earlier this month for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa at Lord’s beginning on Wednesday.

Not hitting a cricket ball for three months is pretty much unlike Smith. But at the twilight of his career, the former Australia captain has taken a minimalist, calmer approach before going into yet another marquee event.

In New York, Smith had linked up with a personal trainer who had pushed him to his limits.

“I made sure my bat was away (in New York). I had my golf clubs out and I was using them a little bit.

“I’d normally have a bat lying around the house somewhere and just pick it up and do a bit of shadow batting. But I made a conscious decision to try and just let it go for a while, and it was good,” Smith, who has scored four centuries from his last five Tests, said on the sidelines of Australia’s training session.

“I feel as strong as I’ve probably been since maybe 2014,” Smith added. “I feel like my hips are probably as good as they’ve been in a long time.

“I feel like I’m getting a lot lower, which I think will benefit me in the slips potentially.”

Getting down to training, a blow in his ribs off off-spinner Nathan Lyon aside, Smith was seen middling most of the balls in a video released by Cricket Australia. “I feel the first two hits were really good,” he said.

“I walked out of my first hit and told ‘Ron’ (Australia head coach Andrew McDonald) straightaway, ‘Can we play tomorrow? I’m ready to go’. I hadn’t hit a ball since I missed a full toss off Mohammed Shami in the Champions Trophy. I’ve hit so many balls over my career... It’s like riding a bike, I suppose, in a way.”

Smith will most likely be batting at No.4 against the Proteas in the WTC final. His current level of excitement, though, instils the confidence of even going out to open.

“I still feel like I could open the batting,” Smith said. “I didn’t do it fabulously for the four games that I did.

“It’s a tricky place to bat at the moment, though. Anyone who bats in the top four, you could be in inside two overs or an over.”

Test future

Having turned 36 earlier this month, Smith is aware that not many days lie ahead of him on the international stage.

He quit ODIs following this year’s Champions Trophy. After this WTC final, will he be back again at Lord’s when Australia tour England for the Ashes in 2027, which is also the year they are scheduled to play five Tests in India?

“I’m definitely not looking that far ahead,” Smith acknowledged.

“I’m taking it day by day. While I’m enjoying it, while I’m batting nicely and feeling like I’m contributing to the team, I’m pretty happy. But that (2027) is a while away.”

If his form diminishes from hereon, the upcoming clash at Lord’s could well go on to be Smith’s final appearance at the iconic venue.