“But I’m still taking it easy at the moment, just making sure I’m only batting two days in a row, not three days in a row, and I’ll build up again as we get closer to playing some longer format stuff.”

For now, Smith is playing a less conspicuous “anchor” role in the Australian middle-order, either coming in to salvage the innings after early wickets or, as is yet to happen, being demoted below other power hitters, such as Marcus Stoinis, should Aaron Finch’s team make a strong start.

“That’s essentially my role, I think I’ve done it pretty well in the first couple of trial games and our first game against South Africa,” he said. “So I know what I need to do, the rest of the team knows my role, I think we’re all very clear on the way we all want to play, so that clarity’s there, it’s just about going and doing it.

“Sometimes you need an ability to be able to get off strike and manipulate the ball to certain areas, more than just the power. [On] some of these wickets even the powerful blokes have struggled to hit sixes, so you need some smarts about you in the middle and playing the situation and having the ability to limit dot balls and get off strike.

“For me that’s pretty simple but it depends who I’m batting with as well. It’s about batting in partnerships – if I’m batting with Glenn Maxwell, my job is to get him on strike and let him go about his business, and the same with some of the other stronger guys.”

Looking ahead to the Ashes, where Smith’s wicket will be far less expendable, he expressed optimism that some extensive centre wicket sessions against Australia’s vaunted pace attack and focused mental preparation would steel him in ways previously derived from Sheffield Shield games.

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