WTC Final: Day 2 Post-match Press Conference Australia Transcript
[Reporter:]
Hey Steve, just getting to the 100, just bang bang bang. Three fours on the chart, just getting there and the whole innings itself, like starting the summer off in style.
[Steve Smith:]
Yeah, I think when I first started this morning I couldn't ask for anything more than two half volleys on my pad to get me going. That was nice to get over that milestone. But, no, I was proud of the way I played. I thought I applied myself nicely. Left well yesterday morning. Hit the balls in my area and yeah it was pretty solid in defense. So yeah, felt good out there. Obviously a really good partnership with Trav who batted beautifully in that middle session yesterday. I thought the way he took the game on, put the pressure back on their bowlers, got them off their lengths, which I think helped me at the other end as well. Yeah, set us up for a nice innings.
[Reporter:]
Just from a bowling perspective Steve, was it a conscious decision to attack the stumps a lot more when you guys - ?
[Steve Smith:]
The length at off stump I think is important. We've obviously seen a bit of variable bounce and some seam movement. So if we're challenging the top of the stumps as much as possible, I think that's the quickest way home. You can certainly get the outside edge from there if it seams away and bounces or takes off, which a couple have. And then pads and stumps are in play with the ones that shoot low or seam back. So it's about as simple as we need to keep it, I think.
[Reporter:]
Your sixth century at the Oval Stadium. Third, third, sorry. Yeah. But how much do you like playing at the Oval?
[Steve Smith:]
I'd like six, yeah. No, it's a nice place to play. I think in terms of English wickets it's probably as close to Australia as you get I suppose. The pace and bounce that you can get in the surface and if you get yourself in the outfield is obviously the square goes the whole way across so you get good value for your shots - so yeah I've enjoyed playing here and it was nice to score a few out here again.
[Reporter:]
Steve, it was not a particularly easy pitch to bat on, especially yesterday. A lot of uneven bounce and some shooting up and some keeping low. So what do you think was the key for you to make this many runs on this pitch?
[Steve Smith:]
I think just to stay in the moment. I think we've all had a few that have either shot low or bounced a little bit more. It's basically just forgetting what happened the ball before and playing the next ball and if you get out to one of those ones then so be it but yeah just trying to stay in the moment as much as possible - assume that nothing's happening and just play sort of each ball as it comes I think that was the most important thing and I thought I did it pretty well.
[Reporter:]
Steve, what does it say about England's chances of going well - the way you blokes bowled this evening or this afternoon. I mean, the ball was moving around, blokes were getting hit. It looked like quite hard work. Can you see an ultra-attack install working against that sort of bowling and that sort of attack?
[Steve Smith:]
I mean, I think it'd be difficult on this kind of wicket that's up and down and seaming around - it's not easy to defend let alone come out and swing. So yeah I think I said it initially when Bas Ball started that I'm intrigued to see how it goes against our bowlers. I've said that all along. So, you know, they've obviously done well against some other attacks, but they haven't come up against us yet. So, we'll see. It's obviously been exciting to watch. I must say I've enjoyed watching the way they've played and the way that I guess they've turned things around in the last 12 months or so but it's yeah we'll wait and see how it comes off against us.
[Reporter:]
And where does Scotty Bowen fit in the pecking order? Because obviously there's been the big three with the quicks for a while now, but Scotty's sort of been immaculate every time he's had an opportunity. And he was again today. Can you see him keeping one of the big three out?
[Steve Smith:]
I'm not a selector, but I know from having faced Scotty in the nets recently -he's bowling very nicely. I think the angles he provides, his ability to hit the stumps from slightly shorter than some of our other bowlers is a big plus. Something that I think Nessa can do as well, shorter guys that are a bit skittier so if there's any seam movement it gives the ball more chance to move and still hit the stumps if that makes sense. So yeah the skills he possesses are magnificent. He's turned up every time he's had an opportunity. So whether he's leaving any of the big three out, I don't know the answer to that, but he's certainly a quality prospect, as we've seen for a couple of years now every time he's had his opportunity - so we'll see how we go.
[Reporter:]
Steve, during one of the breaks and play Ricky Ponting did a segment for TV back home where he was looking at the guard that David Warner's been making - looks quite unusual and quite deep. Has that caused any - the rest of you any issues?
[Steve Smith:]
Yeah, I almost fell in it.
[Reporter:]
Has it been off-putting and have you had to move around it at all?
[Steve Smith:]
I kind of, I didn't really move around it. I got used to it eventually, but almost twisted my ankle the first few balls I faced out there to be honest. Then I sort of got used to it, but it was odd. I'd never experienced that before on that side really. You occasionally get the edge of the foot marks, you know, the back end of a game, second innings where you kind of fall into them and you're a bit, yeah, I don't know, just off balance, but when I'm moving to off stump and I've got this hole there, it was something I hadn't experienced before, but maybe I need to do it more often, it worked for me, so he can keep digging that hole I suppose.
[Reporter:]
Yeah, I mean just following up on that, did you know Dave, as someone who bats after Dave, did you know that was going to happen and any issues in terms of what you can do to the pitch in that respect?
[Steve Smith:]
I had no idea that it was coming until I walked out and marked my guard and saw this big hole there and I was just wondering who made this. And I think I asked Marnus - and I said, what's going on down the end here? There's this big hole that I'm about to fall into. But yeah, it was odd, but yeah, whatever the batter needs, I suppose, to get themselves in a good position.
[Reporter:]
Steve, can I just ask from a technical point of view, Steve, you spoke a lot leading into last summer about your trigger movement and how you changed that a little bit? Have you kind of brought it back a little bit more? Were you moving a bit more across your stumps?
[Steve Smith:]
Yeah, I quite like it for English conditions and the way the ball bounces over here. It obviously worked when I was here last time. And yeah, just the positions I get myself into, it doesn't mean I'm going to do it all the time. I may revert back to old styles at certain periods when I feel it's necessary, but on this surface and with the bowlers I was coming up against, I felt that was the right way forward.
[Reporter:]
Steve, What did the Aussie bowlers do right to dismiss the top order Indian batsmen?
[Steve Smith:]
I think it's just putting the ball in the right area more often than not. Owning that sort of, I think it's probably five and a half to seven meter length. Top of the stumps, there's enough natural variation there in terms of up and down. Obviously Virat got a very difficult one, he couldn't really do much there to be fair and if you're hitting those areas consistently it's quite challenging.
[Reporter:]
Steve, just following from Louis there talking about that trigger or that movement for you, is that something that takes a little bit to get used to going back to again? Like I noticed in the nets the other day you were doing a bit of it and is it something also that you look back at the 2019 Ashes and you know that was probably, well it was pretty pronounced. Is that part of you thinking, why you've gone that way?
[Steve Smith:]
Doesn't take long to get back. It's probably my more natural sort of movement, I suppose. So, no, it didn't take very long. I actually batted the other way in my first two county games I played here and then started playing that way in the third game because I wasn't quite happy with the positions I was getting into. So yeah, it didn't take long. One hit out in the middle and I was fine.
[Reporter:]
Steve, had Pat been having any trouble with no balls in the net at all? And given he's bowled four of them?
[Steve Smith:]
I'm not sure. That's a question for him I suppose. I'm not looking at his front foot. But yeah, obviously that hurt. No balls are costly and you want your bowlers behind the line as much as possible and yeah jinx is still out there, so Yeah, no balls are never good
[Reporter:]
Steve how much do you hope that that inning sets you up for what you want to be a massive summer not only this game but from a personal point of view maybe winning the Ashes in this country for the first time?
[Steve Smith:]
Yeah, hopefully. It was nice to spend a lot of time out there against some good bowlers on a challenging wicket after getting sent in. So, yeah, I'll take a lot of confidence out of that and hopefully can keep building and have a successful summer.
