Resolute Smith makes Test team his own

Cricket Australia's high-performance manager Pat Howard believes captain Steve Smith has “put his stamp” on the Test side in the midst of the sternest challenge of his leadership in his international career.

In November, Australia slumped to their fifth straight Test defeat following a series whitewash in Sri Lanka followed by successive home losses to South Africa, the second an innings-and-80-run thrashing at Blundstone Arena.

With Smith expressing his embarrassment at the poor result following the momentous Hobart defeat, a host of players were axed and three debutant batsmen aged 25 or younger made their debuts against the Proteas in Adelaide, where a fresh-faced Australia managed a consolation victory in the dead-rubber third Test.

It’s a result Howard credits largely to the guidance of Smith, along with his deputy David Warner as well as the Test side’s two other senior figures in fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

“You don't shy away from five Test losses in a row,” Howard told ABC Grandstand on Sunday. 

“The test of people is when they're under pressure. I've got to give the captain a massive wrap here.

“He's stepped up significantly, with the help of his vice-captain (David Warner) as well, they've really taken a strong lead. 

“Steve has grown in this space and gone ‘this is my team now’. He deserves a lot of credit around that, but with his other senior players (as well) – the Hazlewoods, the Starcs, Davey Warner.”

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Smith stood in as Test captain during Australia’s 2014-15 home series against India after regular skipper Michael Clarke suffered an injury in an emotional Adelaide Oval Test, held in the wake of the death of Phillip Hughes.

The right-hander peeled off three centuries in his first three Tests at the helm, expelling any doubts he was the right man to succeed Clarke, taking over the Test captaincy after Clarke’s retirement at the end of the 2015 Ashes defeat in England.

Howard referred to Smith’s resolve though that testing 2014-15 period, suggesting his impressive leadership through Australia’s recent turmoil now goes beyond just the national team.

“The (’14-15) India series was a tumultuous time,” Howard reflected. 

“Phil (Hughes) had just passed away, Michael (Clarke’s) hamstring had gone, we've got a (one-day international) World Cup in a few months' time.

“It was a pretty interesting period for a guy to come in, and he led by example. (He scored) hundred, hundred, hundred. 

“But when's the harder pressure come on? When you're losing. That's eventually going to happen.

“Steve dealt with that, he had a look at it, he's put his stamp on the side and he's really come down and put some mantras down that are important to him.

“That helps drive not only him but also the guys in the (Sheffield) Shield and the level below.

“(Domestic players know) 'this is what your captain is going to expect, this is what the coaches are after’. 

“He can really help drive the system all the way down.”

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Howard meanwhile insisted the pool of players pushing for a Test berth isn’t as shallow as has been made out, citing Australia A’s success in their winter series and the graduation of players from that ‘A’ side to the Baggy Green as proof playing stocks are healthy.  

“It’s never as good or as bad as people think, so don’t think everything has changed in a moment and don’t think everything was terrible before,” he counselled. “We believe we have depth.

“Australia A beat South Africa A by 10 wickets (in August) and a lot of those guys who played are here (in the Test team) now. 

“Matt Renshaw played, Peter Handscomb played, Jackson Bird was there (for Australia A’s 1-0 series win over India A the following month). 

“So we have depth and we still believe we've got further depth. I’ve read some commentary about Shaun Marsh (potentially returning to the Test side) but there are others. 

“We need to make sure we keep reinventing ourselves and we were probably a little bit slow to move post the Sri Lanka series.” 

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