Steve Smith grabbed a fresh headline pre-second Ashes Test by experimenting with eye black during Australia’s night training session at the Gabba. With a pink-ball game scheduled for December 4 and Australia leading the series 1-0, the star was looking to adjust to the new conditions.
Smith has hardly looked the same in a day-night Test while he carries an absolute beast of a red-ball record, which is why he now searches for new ways.
Smith Looks for Better Light Conditions
Steve Smith has nearly always been the pink-ball Test player for Australia but has failed to deliver to his usual standard. His average at night is miles away from that of the day, and he only has one hundred in this format. Quite often he has attributed the trouble of picking the pink ball at twilight and under strong lights.
Eye black strips that are popular in the US sports, aid in light reflection reduction and give better tracking. In the past, Shivnarine Chanderpaul had them fitted and now Smith is convinced that they can give him the same level of insight in the most demanding moments of the game.
Ex-Players Emphasize Difficulties of Playing with Pink-Ball
Alastair Cook and other ex-players have alluded to the fact that the shine of the pink ball makes the black seam that much harder to follow. In their view, this shortens the time available for the reaction and decision-making for the batters. Smith’s trial is a way of alleviating these issues and finding a tiny edge if there is one before the pressure-filled battle.
Author’s Opinion
Smith deciding to do so is a clear indication that he understands the changes in the match. If eye black is of help when it comes to reading the ball, then his move appears to be the right one in such a difficult format.
