I certainly get drained mentally quicker than I've probably used to: Smith

Sydney, Oct 21 (PTI) Channeling his complete focus on Test cricket has helped Steve Smith remain fresh through the season, unlike in earlier years when he would be completely drained after playing all three formats with equal intensity.

Smith, who has retired from ODIs, took a break to rejuvenate and is now going to lead Australia in the opening Ashes Test starting November 21 in Perth with regular skipper Pat Cummins still recuperating from a lower back injury. The 36-year-old now stays in New York during the Australian winter and and hadn’t picked up a bat since August.

"I certainly get drained mentally quicker than I've probably used to," Smith told reporters here after his first training session.

"Ten years ago, I loved to come back and play every single game that I could. Now obviously my Test cricket has taken a huge priority.

"I know that when I play a lot at the start, by the end of the summer I'm pretty cooked mentally and probably can't produce the same performances," Smith recalled his younger days.

The conservation of energy and prioritisation of formats has had a positive effect, something Smith felt after scoring two centuries during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last season.

"Last year, I was probably batting my best at the back end of the summer against India, coming off not too much cricket at the start. Honestly, it takes me two hits to get sorted. I feel like I'm ready to go now," Smith said.

Smith has just started training but he feels he is in good nick.

"Honestly, it takes me two hits to get sorted. I feel like I'm ready to go now," Smith said.

For Smith, remaining mentally fresh is key to good performances than spending whole lot of time at the nets which he used to do when he was on the right side of 30s.

"There's obviously a balance, but I don't think it takes me much now to get up to game speed and I want to try and stay as mentally fresh. Technically, I feel in a good place, it's about being mentally fresh. I'm not hitting as many balls as I used to.

"It's to try and get the most out of myself mentally when I'm out in the middle and be able to concentrate for long periods of time." While he believes it is premature to talk about his future or whether he would travel to England for the 2027 Ashes, he does feel that stop-gap captaincy when Cummins is absent feels way more easier compared to the time between 2013-2017 when he was the full-time captain.

"It's interesting how the brain works. I feel like I kind of go to another level and try to set a standard, I suppose." PTI KHS KHS ATK