Ashes 2023 [WATCH]: Steve Smith identifies his bats blindfolded ahead of 100th Test at Headingley

Australia are preparing to face England in the third Test of the Ashes 2023 series at Headingley, starting on July 6. Led by captain Pat Cummins, the Aussie team will be aiming to secure a victory in the Headingley match and seal the five-match series, having already won the first two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s.

Ahead of the third fixture, there has been significant attention on Australian bater Steve Smith, as this match will mark his 100th appearance in Test cricket. The former Aussie skipper is widely regarded as one of the most lethal batters Australia has ever produced. He has accumulated an impressive total of 9113 runs in Test cricket, including four double centuries and 32 centuries. Smith’s skills with the bat are well-known, but he has also gained popularity for his off-field antics.

Recently, a video shared by cricket.co.au on Twitter showcased Smith’s exceptional knowledge and attachment to his bats. In the video, he played a blindfold game where he had to identify the numbers on his six bats, further highlighting his connection with his equipment.

“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.

Starting with his bat No 22, Smith said, “That was my Big Bash bat actually. A lot of sixes with that one.” He then went on to guess all the bats correctly and revealed that the last bat in the list was the one that he used during the ODIs against India, earlier this year.

“It’s 21. I actually used this in the last One Day game against India and I got out for a duck, so, I might put it back in the shelf,” the Kogarah-born said.

Here’s 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 a relatively underwhelming performance in the first Ashes Test, Smith made a strong comeback in the second Test. He played a crucial innings, scoring a magnificent century, which marked his 32nd hundred in Test cricket. In the first innings of the second Test, the 34-year-old amassed 110 runs off 184 balls, including 15 boundaries, at a strike rate of 59.78. Although he didn’t have a significant contribution in the second innings, scoring only 34 runs, his overall impact earned him the Player of the Match award.