Steve Smith's Sheffield Shield Struggles Raise Concerns Ahead of Crucial Test Series Against India

Australia’s ace batter Steve Smith seems to be struggling for form in the Sheffield Shield, which could be a massive concern ahead of the upcoming Test series against India on home soil.

The 35-year-old had a fairly uneventful outing in the recent domestic game for New South Wales against Victoria as he was dismissed for a mere 3 runs in the first innings followed by a duck in the second.

In what could have been an ideal time for preparation, the Australian international did not exactly live up to expectations after his second-inning dismissal left the batter furious at himself.

The delivery by his fellow Australian teammate, Scott Boland, saw the ball nip back into the right-hander and where the bat should have come in between to defend, Smith opted to leave as the ball ended up crashing onto his pads, resulting in a leg-before wicket dismissal.

Many would have hoped that Smith had his mind fully tuned up for the intense contest against India but that dismissal would certainly bring up warning signs within the Australian camp.

Smith will hope that Australia’s upcoming white-ball series against Pakistan could prove to be the chance to help find his mojo ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 series.

India is no slouches even in Australian conditions as history has shown that the Indian unit has outclassed the Australians on Aussie soil for the past two tours which will be something that the hosts look to overturn.

In fact, Australia has been on the losing end of the Border-Gavaskar series for the past 10 years. A drought that Smith will be keen on ending with strong performances with the bat.

After his brief stint at the top of the order, the veteran is now back where he belongs a the number four position where he hopes that he can rediscover his best form and show why he is Australia’s best Test batter in the modern era.

The five-match Test series, which begins on November 22 at Perth, followed by Adelaide (December 6), Brisbane (December 14), Melbourne (December 26) and Sydney (January 3) respectively.