Jamie Smith may not have looked forward to his role as England’s ODI opener against West Indies doubling up as a rehearsal for the high-octane red-ball series against India, but that is exactly what it was. With England’s focus shifting to their first assignment for the new World Test Championship cycle, which is also against a gargantuan Indian side, white-ball cricket exposure has offered them benefits, so says Smith.
“There’s an opportunity there to go and play, and experience opening when the ball is still swinging and nipping around against quality bowlers,” he said after England wrapped up a 3-0 sweep against West Indies. “It’s definitely great practice [for the India series]. It feels like we’re close to it now, we’re almost there. It’s been great playing these three games and obviously the Zimbabwe Test leading up to it.”
Smith scored 101 runs across the three-match ODI series, including a 200-strike rate half-century at The Oval in the third one-dayer. That knock helped the hosts end the ODI leg on top of the Windies with minimal fuss. England’s wicketkeeper-batter believes facing the new ball at the top spot has given him some insight into how much of a ‘challenge’ it will be to face India’s pace attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, who is raring to have a go with the Dukes ball.
Not that he’s planning to sit and watch hours of Bumrah footage. “Hopefully, down at No. 7, I can watch other lads go and face him first. [He is] certainly a challenge there.”
With Phil Salt ready to rejoin the English side after a successful campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League, Smith will get a sabbatical, one he seemed pretty upbeat about, hoping to use the time both to prepare and wind down before the five-Test series begins on June 20.
“I feel good,” he said. “Hopefully, the next 10 days or so can go well, prep-wise, and we can head into [the] India [series] quite fresh, which is amazing.”
Smith also has a life outside cricket calling for his attention. He became a father in December, and he is not acting as if a major Test series ahead is the only thing on his mind.
“I’ll have enough to do at home to keep me busy and entertained,” he said, answering whether he will tune into the World Test Championship final next week. “I’ll be trying to stay away and hopefully get myself mentally and physically in a good place for once the Test series starts, so come the last Test, I’m still feeling fresh and ready.”
It is an Ashes year, and no matter how much the sides exude nonchalance, the series will take up a large portion in their minds, England’s more so with the drought of winning back the urn they have been facing. But Smith still wants to take it one game at a time to ensure the enormity of the trial ahead does not overwhelm them.
“We’re playing the two best nations,” Smith said. “It’s always going to be talked about, and the key for us and the group that we have at the moment is we’re focusing on one game at a time.”
“Everyone knows the magnitude of what you’ve got coming up, but if we can try and stay in the present, then it’s a good time to test ourselves against the best. We feel in a really good place, and I think everyone’s really excited and in a great place to go and attack them.”
