The bold claim from one of the country’s greatest batters will strike fear into West Indies and South Africa ahead of the Australian Test summer.
“[It] was probably the best I’ve felt in about six years,” Smith told reporters. “I was just in really nice positions and I felt really good, I honestly haven’t felt that way in six years or so. It’s been nice to score some runs in that time and we’re always looking for perfection, and for me yesterday was as close to perfection as I will get.”
Smith credits a year-long process to help rediscover his best stance and technique which now sees him not taking the pronounced jump across the crease and staying more side-on to the ball.
“[It was] much better yesterday,” he said. “In Cairns on a slow wicket I still felt a little bit rushed and wasn’t quite happy with the positions I was getting in whereas yesterday I just felt, a couple of the cover drives I hit, I know I’m batting really well when I’ve got my weight going through the ball.”
“I’ve been working on a few things, it’s almost been a six-month or 12-month process,” Smith said. “The start of last summer, I tried to get my hands back to where they were in 2015.
“I feel like I’m staying a bit more side-on now and I’ve got my feet and hands in sync together. [Thursday] was probably the first time I’ve actually had extended time in the middle with that change.
Smith is averaging 60.00 from 87 Tests with 28 centuries ahead of a jam-packed 12 months for Australian cricket.
After two Tests against West Indies and a three-match series with South Africa, Australia will head to India in February to battle for the Border-Gavaskar trophy. If they gain enough points in those series there will be a World Test Championship final in early June before the Ashes series in England.