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Easy to forget how far this Aussie team has come from Cape Town, but I think it is epitomised by their retention of the in England. If they can go on to win the series, a feat which hasn’t been completed in 18 years, it will only emphasise the success of their comeback.⁣
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The players’ ability was, and is, an important part of why Australia has been so successful in their redemption, but I believe that the team’s philosophy, values, rapport and brotherhood have been the key factors, aside from the skill of players. ⁣
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Though Steve Smith has been other-worldly since his return - and his part in Australia’s most recent success should not be dismissed - other team members such as Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, among others, have all been instrumental during Smith’s absence and now still.⁣
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Justin Langer has done an exceptional job under immense pressure and his role should not be overlooked.⁣
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Posted • What it means. Epic 🙌

STEVE SMITH 👑
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After yet another mammoth score overnight, Steve Smith continues to further his case as the greatest test batsman of all time ⌛️⁣
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So much analysis has been based solely on Smith’s unorthodox technique, and while it heavily focuses on the key 🔑 fundamentals of batting - such as body weight 👣 transitions, head 👱‍♂️ positioning and bat flow - it is still imperfect, and so not the overarching reason for his remarkable 🤯 success, I believe. ⁣
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Lots of cricketers worldwide 🌏 tend to be overly concerned with technique rather than mindset 🧠 - attributing negative outcomes to a fault in their technical method - but as Steve Smith proves, and proved most recently overnight, prioritising your mindset over technique can lead to increased success ✅⁣
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After being struck on the neck by 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 bowler Jofra Archer in the second test, it is objectively apparent that Smith has returned untroubled by the incident, as terrifying as it would’ve been. This is just one example of his elite 📈 mindset.⁣
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In most cases, after being hit on the head and subsequently diagnosed with concussion, lots of players would instinctively put on a brave front while remaining mentally quite apprehensive 😓 The difference is not that Smith isn’t brave, the difference is that he truly, wholeheartedly believes that he is 😁⁣
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Steve Smith undoubtedly possesses an elite mentality, maybe the best the game has ever seen, exhibited by his:⁣ - Successful exceedance of severe hardships ⁣ - Ability to bat for extreme periods of time ⏰ (319 balls in his last innings)⁣ - Ability to change the tempo of his batting, proven by his knack for grinding out draws against tough opposition teams⁣
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It is easy to take a performance like last night for granted as we seem to be treated to them so often recently, but with his second double hundred 💯💯 of the series, Smith registered a range of new records 📊 that can help us to appreciate 👏 the player he is, and learn 👨‍🎓 from his genius...
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Arriving at the crease with the score at 2/28 - with 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 heaping pressure on using the new ball - he stuck around until the score was 8/438. He was at the crease for 418 runs, the majority of his team’s final total.
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In his innings of 2️⃣1️⃣1️⃣ (319 balls, incl. 24 fours, 2 sixes), Smith became the🔝 run scorer in test match cricket for 2019, even though he played his first test in August, giving all other batsman an immense head start totalling 212 days.
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Finally, no Englishman has scored more Ashes centuries 💯 in England than Steve Smith himself, an 🇦🇺 cricketer.
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After each of this series’ centuries, I told myself that Smith is the greatest🏅test batsman of all time, but it wasn’t an opinion I could be sure of until he retired 👨‍🦳After last night’s knock, I believe I can safely regard him as the greatest 🏆
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Most cricketers have preferred fields, for example: being proficient with just bat or ball, but it’s good to train the less developed aspects of your game, because they may end up being necessary or advantageous in scenarios that you face. ⁣
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A perfect example of this is presented by English spinner Jack Leach. Although Leach’s main field of expertise is with the ball, batting at 11 in the most recent test, his ability with the bat was tested nonetheless as he fought to keep the series alive in the team’s tenth wicket stand. ⁣
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With Ben Stokes running out of partners, Leach was responsible for sticking with the already-set Stokes as the last remaining batsman, and though he managed just 1* (17), the impact that he had on the game wasn’t at all represented through the scorecard. ⁣
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Ultimately, Leach played his role - even if it were with the bat - and was immense in not only aiding Stokes and his team to win the match, but in keeping a fiercely contested ashes series alive. ⁣
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It’s important that we train our less developed abilities because they can become essential in some of the most key moments that we will face. There is always something to improve on.⁣
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MINDSET 🧠 & PROCESS ⚙️⁣⁣
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🇦🇺 cricket icons Steve Waugh and Greg Chappell have said in the past that the game is 90% mental 🧠 and 10% physical 🏃‍♂️ but often we forget the importance of having a mindset and process that works well ✅ and is both repeatable 🔄 and adaptable.⁣⁣
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🇮🇳 cricketer Rishabh Pant, just 2️⃣1️⃣ years of age, has already represented his nation - debuting in the one day and test match formats in 2018 - and is a great example of prioritising his mentality and state of mind 🙇‍♂️⁣⁣
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Pant has clearly spent time ⏰ evaluating his game - on the physical and mental side alike - saying a few days ago: “I would like to have a big score at my back, but I am not focusing on that every time I go in.” ⁣⁣
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This proves that he is focusing more on his own individual process of playing “normal, positive cricket”, rather than the result 📈 of being successful as an individual and scoring big runs 💯⁣⁣
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If you’re struggling to find runs, take wickets or accomplish anything on the field of play, take some time ⏰ to go over your own mindset and process; 90% of the time, they are what contribute to your success 💥 or failure 🚫⁣⁣
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FREEDOM🕺⁣
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Playing with freedom ✅ is a big part of being successful 🏆 in all three facets of the game - batting, bowling and fielding - because it allows you to work 🙇‍♂️ with your own style, technique, mindset, and game plan. ⁣
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When we aren’t ❌ playing with freedom, it is often because we fear 😞 what might happen, such as getting out, bowling badly or fielding poorly, though this means that we are then controlled by that fear, which makes us perform in a negative 🚫 or inefficient way. ⁣
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With fear comes worry 😥 and when we worry - about the result, our form or almost anything else - we’re normally not able to back 👊 ourselves. Staying confident ☺️ in spite of the worry that can affect us is key 🔑 in helping us to play with freedom. ⁣
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When we don’t play with freedom, we aren’t able to support 🙏🏻 our own technique or mindset 🧠 - we aren’t able to have faith in our own ability. ⁣
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Accepting 👍🏻 that you will fail - just like the best athletes 🏃‍♂️ in every sport - and permitting yourself to play freely is important to find success 🏅⁣
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CHASING THE RESULT 🚫⁣
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Sometimes we can get caught up in chasing the result, focusing on personal milestones 💯 or the outcome of a match 🔝⁣
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Though similar, chasing 🏃‍♂️ the result is not the same as goal setting 📒 because when we work towards our goals successfully ✅ we are often prioritising our repeatable process ⚙️ over just the objective we have in mind. ⁣
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When we chase results, it means that we provide less attention💡to the task at hand - for example, watching the 🎾 as batsmen - and are more dedicated to achieving the results 📈 we desire, but we can’t ensure these results without being dedicated to our process. ⁣
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It is important to set goals as cricketers, but equally 🔑 to remain loyal to our process, which helps us to fulfil results and the goals we have ✅⁣
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PLAYING YOUR PART 🔄⁣
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Sometimes we can get caught up in trying to play solely for our own gain and not for the team as a whole ➗ and this can often mean that while you might succeed alone 🙎‍♂️ your team may fail overall ⭕️⁣
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🇦🇺 bowler Peter Siddle explained, after his side were victorious in the 1️⃣st ashes test of the series, that his task was to build pressure 🥵 and take wickets along the way. ⁣
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Even if he isn’t the one taking all the wickets and breaking records 🥇Siddle acknowledges that his role of creating pressure is an important and necessary one ✊⁣
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This is further evidenced by 🇦🇺 coach Justin Langer, who said that “He [Siddle] was brilliant” and “was almost the bowler of the game”, despite taking just 2️⃣ wickets in as many innings. ⁣
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Realising what your job is and recognising that it is a valuable ✅ part of your team plays a 🔑 part in making sure the group works well and performs together 🏅⁣
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STRATEGY 🧠⁣
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Prior to the first test of the 2019 Ashes series, 🇦🇺 bowler Josh Hazlewood revealed their bowling unit’s plan for 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 batsman Joe Root. ⁣
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Hazlewood indicated that “It’s about being straight on the money from ball one”, basing their plan on a key stat 💯 which uncovers that when Root passes double digits 🔟 his average jumps from 49 to 67, also relating to his conversion rate.⁣
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Just last night, Australia were able to dismiss Root before he converted a good start, and tight bowling played its role in putting pressure on the England skipper. ⁣
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Creating, developing and carrying out plans in the game of 🏏 ensures that you are able to play with a purpose while challenging the weaknesses of opponents. ⁣
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LETTING GO 🤷‍♂️⁣
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Whether you’ve played a bad shot or bowled a bad ball ❌ letting go of what has happened allows you to free up your mind 🧠 and play according to your process ⚙️ going forward. ⁣
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Following his innings of 144 off 219 balls, 🇦🇺 batsman Steve Smith addressed the media 👨‍💼 explaining that though he “got beaten a few times”, he “let that go and concentrated on the next ball” ✅⁣
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Smith’s process is a great example of an elite 💥 mindset which includes his ability of letting the past go, enabling him to concentrate better in the moment. ⁣
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It’s important to acknowledge that perhaps you were beaten by a good delivery ⚡️ or punished by a good shot, but equally key 🔑 to move forward from it so that your mindset and process isn’t affected 🚫⁣
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RESILIENCE ✊⁣
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As cricketers, we have to posses a good amount of resilience ✊- though success is a part of 🏏 failure is also a component that we must face. ⁣
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Last night, 🇦🇺 batsman Steve Smith powered his side to a lacklustre albeit solid score of 285, making 144 himself 💯⁣
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Playing in his first test since his ban, and in the Ashes no less, Smith would’ve felt a lot of pressure and negativity from the 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 crowd, who were quick to boo 🗣him when he entered the field. ⁣
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Smith handled the conditions of his environment brilliantly however, and by not letting the pressure or negativity get to him, he was able to focus on playing his way - batting with the right tempo and game plan, he was the foundation of 🇦🇺’s innings, carrying them to 285 almost single-handedly ⁣
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You’ll deal with a lot of failure playing 🏏 - it’s just part of the game - and it is important to be resilient when facing it so that it does not affect how you play in the future. ⁣
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HAVING FUN 🎉⁣
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Recently, 🇷🇴 cricketer Pavel Florin participated in the European Cricket League, and while he was ridiculed for his bowling action, he explained in an interview that he isn’t bothered by what people say, because he loves ❤️ the game of cricket. ⁣
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Sometimes we are distracted by worry, fear or our bad form, forgetting why we play the game of 🏏 in the first place. ⁣
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Pavel Florin deals with his own situation brilliantly. Facing criticism from the public, he doesn’t let it affect him, his love for the game the driving force for his perseverance. ⁣
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When you’re thinking negatively ⛔️ about your game, remember why you started and still continue to play cricket - this will help you to play with simplicity, freedom and without pressure that is often perceived. ⁣
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