Battling A Concussion And Piling Up Big Scores - Steve Smith's Test Return Shows Him To Be More Lethal Than Before

144, 142, 92, 211. No, these are not some random numbers, they are Steve Smith's scores in the 4 innings he has plated since returning to Test cricket after serving a one-year ban. And who should the unfortunate opposition be but old rivals England? Yes, this Ashes series so far has certainly belonged to Smith. He has played at a different level than the rest and also reclaimed his spot as the No. 1 Test batsman in the ICC Rankings. Virat Kohli held the position for quite a while.

But it is not just the rankings, the man has been playing like there is no tomorrow and his appetite for runs has only got bigger. His Test return saw twin centuries which tore the heart out of England. In the next game he battled a concussion after a nasty bouncer from Jofra Archer to make 92. Smith missed the 3rd Test which England ended up winning, but there was more to come.

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The fourth Test saw him slam 211 and help Australia amass 497/8. They are currently in the driver's seat.

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So what is it that is making this version of Smith more lethal than the one before the ban? Well for one, he is more hungry for runs. He seems to be making up for lost time. Also, one motivating factor could be the position Kohli has made for himself at Test level in Smith's absence. So now he may be looking to reclaim his territory as the undisputed best batsman in the format. Well, it shall certainly be an interesting battle as Kohli clearly has some competition.

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The Test series is far from over. Smith has potentially 3 innings to pile on more misery on England. His appetite is growing and Smith 2.0 is the version we are loving. Not that Smith 1.0 was less deadly, but this time he appears to be more ruthless, a trait that makes any cricketer all the more lethal.

Smith is 30, and expect him to be around for a good 5-6 years if not more. If he keeps playing like this, who knows where he will end up on the run-charts. The man has the second best Test average after Don Bradman after all. His career started well, is going well, now let us see how he finishes it off.