The factor that could give Smith upper hand in return bout with Wagner

Nathan Lyon didn’t mention popcorn, but he’s looking for a front-row seat when Australia’s best batsman, Steve Smith, lines up against New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner next week.

“It’ll be good fun, I reckon, hopefully it will be good to watch,” Lyon said of the contest which lit up the Trans-Tasman Trophy series when the two teams last met four years ago.

Smith had returned from the 2019 Ashes having made 774 runs at the extraordinary average of 110, only to fall victim to a brutal and sustained short-ball barrage from Wagner.

The veteran left-arm paceman dismissed Smith with short balls in all four innings of the first two Tests, even though Australia prevailed in three matches.

“ ‘Wags’ provides a challenge with the newish ball, but also when the ball gets a little bit older,” Lyon told this masthead. “He’s obviously got that bouncer plan that he’s very effective at. It’s going to be probably a different challenge for Smithy, opening batting.

“Wags’ record is unbelievable, especially with the work ethic that he has around the short ball plan. You don’t see many guys in world cricket who are as effective as what he has done with that plan. I think it’s just not Smithy. I think all of us are going to have to come up with a plan on how to go about it.”

Steve Smith is set to come up against his nemesis, Neil Wagner, in the Tests against New Zealand.

The advantage Smith is likely to have this time around is that as an opener, New Zealand’s new-ball bowlers – captain Tim Southee and Matt Henry, and impressive young first change Will O’Rourke – are likely to largely pitch the ball up to gain swing and seam movement.

This means that should Smith survive New Zealand’s initial onslaught, he is likely to be well set by the time Wagner arrives at the crease for his version of bodyline.

“If you talk to Smithy, during the whole of his career, the majority of the times he’s come in when the ball is slightly older and there’s potentially less catchers in around the bat,” Lyon said.

“But with him opening, there’s probably going to be more gaps. The way he operates, he’s looking at the gaps and looking where he can score.

Wagner dismissed Smith four times in the first two Tests the last time the sides met.

“Teams are going to go out and think of different plans and approaches. You can’t just go straight to the short stuff, which a lot of teams have done in the past over the years.

“Steve Smith is the probably the greatest problem-solver I’ve played Test cricket with and that’s a credit to himself the way he goes about it. So I’m pretty excited to watch the way he goes about it.”

Smith, like most of his teammates, will prepare for the Tests as part of the Twenty20 squad playing three games over the next week. Lyon, though, stayed at home to play a Sheffield Shield match for NSW against Victoria. Only rain saved NSW as Lyon was forced to bowl 52 overs in a Victorian first innings of 6(dec)-454, claiming 5-153.

It’s very different to the NSW and Australian veteran pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who prefer to avoid Shield or tour matches and tailor their preparation through training.

“I love getting back and playing cricket for New South Wales, playing my role there and trying to help out,” Lyon said. “I like getting into a rhythm of bowling long spells in a match situations.

“I think it’s great, but each individual is going to have their own ideal preparation and Mitch and Pat and Josh, they’ve certainly played enough now to know what they need in the lead-up to a Test series.”

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