Steve Smith didn't mind shouldering the extra responsibility once again while the rest of Australia's batting unit struggled in the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval on Friday (September 13).
The great batsman struck a defiant 80 but the visitors yet managed a total of only 225 in response to England's 294 in the first innings, giving away a crucial lead of 69 runs that could be stretched to impregnable proportions by the hosts on Saturday.
"We haven't seen any huge totals really throughout the whole series so it's not been easy," he told reporters when asked to explain his batting partners' failures in unfamiliar conditions, after stumps on Day 2. "There's always been something there, I felt. If you bowl in good areas for long enough then I think we've seen you'll get rewards."
Read Also: List of records created by Steve Smith in the Oval Test in London
"Playing in England is completely different from playing back home and you've got to find ways to play away from home," he added.
"Sometimes you need to change certain little things that can help you play in certain conditions and adapt accordingly but I think it will be a good learning curve for all of our batters."
Despite missing three innings due to concussion, Smith has struck 751 runs this series so far, which is a major chunk of his team's overall tally. The 30-year-old said he has been intent on shutting out pressure and focussed on the job despite huge weight of expectations on him.
"I just sort of do my thing and what people say it doesn't really bother me, it's just each time I go out to the middle I love batting and I just want to bat and score runs and help out the team," he said. "People can say whatever they like, nice things, bad things, whatever. It really doesn't bother me."
Smith also played down talks of a growing rivalry between him and England pace spearhead Jofra Archer, who took a six-fer to put his team in the driver's seat this Test match.
"Who knows? When's the next Ashes series? I don't even know," he said. "Will I still be playing? I'm not sure. Who knows the answer to that? We'll see."
"He's a quality performer. He's got two five-fors in four Test matches (Archer has twice taken six wickets in an innings) and you don't get guys bowling 90 miles an hour growing on trees and with the skillset he's got."
"He's a terrific bowler and there's no doubt that he'll gain a lot of confidence from his first Test series," Smith concluded.
(Inputs from AFP)
