Ashes 2023: Steve Smith identifies his bats blindfolded ahead of milestone Test at Headingley

Steve Smith. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Australia are gearing up to face England in the third Test of the ongoing Ashes series at Headingley which will begin from July 6, Thursday. The Pat Cummins-led side will be seeking a win in the third Test match to clinch the five-game series after winning the first two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s, respectively.

Ahead of the third Test, the ace Australian batter has received considerable attention because of his exceptional knowledge of his bats. Notably, the Headingley Test will be his 100th match in the longest format of the game.

Cricket.com.au shared a video on Twitter in which they laid out six of Smith’s bats, which he numbered before being blindfolded and tried to identify which one was which based on their peculiarity.

“Steve Smith’s exceptionally talented – but can he identify six of his cricket bats out of a line up, with a blindfold on?,” Cricket.com.au captioned the post.

Watch the video:

Steve Smith’s exceptionally talented – but can he identify six of his cricket bats out of a line up, with a blindfold on? #Smith100 #Ashes pic.twitter.com/e1i3vava9V

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) July 5, 2023

After failing to impress in the first Ashes Test, Steven Smith bounced back with a crucial innings in the second Test. The 34-year-old scored a magnificent century in the second Test, which was his 32nd career ton in the longest format of the game.

In the first innings of the second Test, he hammered 110 runs off 184 balls, including 15 boundaries, at a strike rate of 59.78. Despite failing to produce a useful knock in the second innings, scoring only 34 runs, he was named Player of the Match for the kind of impact he had.

In 99 Test matches, Smith has amassed 9113 runs, including 32 centuries and 37 half-centuries at an average of 59.56 and a strike rate of 53.77, with his highest score being 239. The 34-year-old is the only player to have breached 9000 runs before his 100th Test match.