Can we play tomorrow? Rejuvenated Steve Smith ready for WTC Final vs South Africa-OxBig News Network

Australia’s star batter Steve Smith is eager to take on South Africa’s pace attack in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s. Smith, 36, arrives for the World Test Championship final against South Africa sounding relaxed, refreshed, and – crucially – ready. It’s a version of Smith that hasn’t been seen in some time. And perhaps that’s because, for once, he took a complete break from the game.

Following Australia’s semi-final exit from the Champions Trophy, Smith quietly announced his retirement from ODIs. Instead of diving straight back into red-ball preparation, he stepped away. He spent over two months in New York, living life without a bat in hand – a conscious and calculated reset.

“I’d normally have a bat laying around the house, doing a bit of shadow batting without even realising,” Smith said in London this week. “But I made a decision to put it away. I didn’t touch a bat until our first hit here.”

For a cricketer known for his obsessive preparation, it was a rare detour. But it worked. That first hit felt right – too right, even.

“My first hit felt strangely good,” he said. “Usually it goes: good, awful, then I find rhythm. But both sessions were really solid. Everything just clicked into place.”

It wasn’t just time away from cricket that rejuvenated him. Smith also took on a fresh physical challenge, working with a personal trainer in New York to target strength and mobility. The results have been telling.

“I feel as strong as I’ve been since maybe 2014,” he said. “My hips are in great shape, I’m getting lower – that’ll help in the slips too. It’s probably the best I’ve felt physically in years.”

Smith heads into the WTC final in superb form, with four centuries in his last five Tests. He returns to his preferred No. 4 spot in the batting order, with Cameron Green set to come in at No. 3 and Marnus Labuschagne likely to open alongside Usman Khawaja. Smith had filled in at the top of the order earlier this year following David Warner’s retirement, but the role didn’t quite suit him.

“I still feel like I could open,” he said. “But I didn’t do it fabulously in the four games I had. These days, anyone in the top four could be in inside an over anyway.”

Back in his familiar middle-order role, in control of his game and body, Smith looms as a key figure in Australia’s push to defend their WTC crown. South Africa’s attack, led by Kagiso Rabada, will pose a stiff challenge, especially in the seaming conditions at Lord’s. But there’s a quiet confidence about Smith – not born of routine, but of clarity.

“I’ve hit so many balls over my career,” he said. “It’s like riding a bike, I suppose.” And right now, the wheels are turning smoothly. For Smith, and for Australia, the timing couldn’t be better.