MELBOURNE: Getting whacked on the hand by a Cameron Bancroft
shot would not keep Steve Smith from the Boxing Day Test against
England, the Australia captain said on Monday.
Smith was
struck on the right hand by a Bancroft shot while standing at the back
of the batting nets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday ahead of
the fourth Test in the series.
The 28-year-old said he
had been in pain on Sunday and again on Monday when he was batting
during training but it would not affect him when he leads his side out
on Tuesday as they continue their push for a series whitewash.
“It
was a little bit sore today playing a few different shots,” the skipper
told reporters. “But I’ll be able to deal with it and I’ll get on with
it.
“Maybe I’ll just have to use a bit more of my top hand throughout the game, a bit less wristy.
“I copped a few [on the right hand] in the nets in Perth and a few more
in the game. It just seems to be whenever you’re getting hit in a spot —
it just continually gets hit.”
Australia have already
regained the Ashes after an innings and 41-run victory in the third Test
in Perth last week gave them an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match
series.
Smith said that Bancroft had apologised profusely for the incident.
“I didn’t give him much [initially]. He kept coming up ... it’s all good, accidents happen,” Smith said.
Bird replaces Starc for Boxing Day Test
Meanwhile, Smith has confirmed paceman Jackson Bird will replace Mitchell Starc in Australia’s team for the Melbourne Test.
Starc,
Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the series with 19, withdrew from
the team on Sunday with a bruised heel and will be replaced by Bird.
Smith
said Bird, the leading Sheffield Shield wicket-taker with 25 at 16.56
in four games for Tasmania this season, deserves his chance.
“He’s worked very hard. He hasn’t played since this game last year and he’s been on a few tours,” Smith said.
“He’s bowled exceptionally well in the first couple of Shield games that he played [this season].
“He bowls well out here [at the MCG]. He deserves a crack and hopefully he goes really well.”
Bird
has been on seven overseas Test tours and has played in only two of
them, most recently being overlooked during series in India and
Bangladesh.
“It’s tough at the time but he’s taken every bit of advice and every bit of criticism,” Smith said of Bird.
While
Starc had been instrumental in regaining the trophy with his express
pace, late swing and aggression, Bird was more than capable of stepping
into fill his shows, Smith said, even if the pitch was not expected to
be overly helpful to the bowlers.
“It looks pretty flat.
It doesn’t look like there will be great deal of sideways movement,
maybe a bit of reverse swing as the game goes on,” he said.
“Hopefully we can get the ball reversing and hopefully there’s a little bit of spin for Nath [Nathan Lyon].
