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Southee eyes scalp of IPL teammate Smith

Black Caps quick is no stranger to Australia's Test captain

New Zealand spearhead Tim Southee is no stranger to Steve Smith's silky skills.

Southee knows all about Smith's unique technique, fidgeting, footwork - likewise his direct leadership style after the 26-year-old became captain of Indian Premier League club Rajasthan Royals this year.

The Indian Premier League teammates have also known each other since travelling to Malaysia for the under-19 World Cup in 2008.

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But knowing is only half the battle, as Smith's knock of 138 in the second Commonwealth Bank Test in Perth showed.

"A lot of planning always goes in before a Test series and we obviously haven't executed those plans to the standard we usually do," Southee said.

"I don't want to give too much away.

"But we've obviously got plans in place ... especially for those two guys (Smith and David Warner) who are such key batsmen in that line-up."

Smith's IPL stint earlier this year followed an incredible home summer.

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The 26-year-old posted a century in all four Tests against India, while he was Australia's leading run-scorer in their successful World Cup campaign.

Smith managed 293 runs in the Twenty20 tournament that followed but Southee saw his desperation to improve at every training session.

"I was bowling a lot to him in the nets," he said.

"He got a pretty good look at me and I got a decent look at him.

"But obviously it was a different format .. and there aren't too many hidden secrets when it comes to international players."

That has certainly been the case since the advent of the IPL.

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Southee noted the other upside of the T20 league is that it has helped improve international relations for Test sides - bitter rivals have become good friends.

"A lot of players are completely different to how they come across on the field," Southee said.

"I had a few run-ins with Shane Watson in previous years. We were both pretty competitive, I was pretty young and a bit silly back then.

"At Rajasthan I actually got to know what he was like off the field and how much of a gentleman he is.

"He's the complete opposite to what I thought he was."

However, Southee noted there's always been healthy respect between him and Smith over the past seven years.

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The right-armer wasn't on the receiving end of a spray from Smith in the IPL.

Although Southee wasn't surprised to see the skipper, softly spoken off the field, barking orders during the tournament.

"He's always been a bit like that," he said.

"I didn't have many games under him but it was obvious he had a little bit of experience with Australia before that.

"He's done a great job so far and I think he'll only get better the more he does it."