Smith back in sync after shifting guard

2015 World Cup

Australia batsman Steve Smith says he's feeling back to his best after adjusting his crease position, saying he moved a bit more to the leg side after tending to find his leg stump removed earlier in the home summer.

Smith found himself too far across his stumps a few times against India late last year, and he says he watched some footage to see what the issue was, and one day he decided to step a bit back, and rediscovered his rhythm.

Smith said ahead of the semi-final against India: "I have moved my guard a little bit to leg so I am not moving quite as far as across and I feel I am back to where I want to be.
 
"I ask for leg stump and then I just pull it this way a little bit, so there is a mark in the middle of nowhere out there. It has fooled a few people, Pup [Michael Clarke] came out against Sri Lanka and said 'what's going on out there?'

"I watched a little bit of footage of my batting in the summer in the Tests and I was actually starting to go a little further outside leg and for some reason I forgot about it and I went back to leg stump and started moving across a little bit too far.

"I've got it back to where I want it now and it really feels good.

"I didn't feel out of form. I just felt like I was out of sync a little bit with a few of my movements. But that's back, my swing's back where I want it to be, so hopefully I can continue crunching India around the park.

"I picked that up myself – I watched a bit of footage and saw where I was and got it back to where I want it."  

Smith has three half centuries in the World Cup so far, with a top score of 95 against Afghanistan.

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