Steve Smith comically shadow bats with full kit in hotel room ahead of SCG Test: WATCH

Australia's Steve Smith's fascination with batting is known to all. The cricketer initially broke out into the cricketing scene as a prodigal talent, but with leg-spin as his forte. Soon the star player also showcased his prowess with the bat as well. The 31-year-old's heroics with the bat ultimately overshadowed his bowling, and he established himself as the team's premier batter. The ex-Australia captain is said to be obsessed with his shadow practice routine, and his wife Dani Willis recently provided fans with a sneak peek of the same ahead of the India vs Australia 3rd Test. 

India vs Australia 3rd Test: Steve Smith shadow bats in his hotel room with full Test kit 

The player has proven to be a revelation for the Australian cricket team. Despite his unorthodox technique, the batsman's phenomenal success across all formats is undoubtedly a case study for aspiring cricketers. The modern-day great is surprisingly dealing with a form slump in red-ball cricket. The star batsman chipped in with some fabulous performances in the limited-overs matches against India, however, has failed to replicate the same success in the longer format. 

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With scores of 1, 1*,0, and 8 in the first two fixtures of the Border-Gavaskar trophy, he is due for a big knock. Steve Smith will be itching to get back on to the field and was also seen shadow practicing in his hotel room ahead of the Sydney Test match. The player's partner, Dani Willis, took to her Instagram account to share a clip of the batsman shadow batting in his Test kit to get into the groove ahead of the all-important encounter. 

Steve Smith wife: Who is Dani Willis? 

Dani Willis is a lawyer by profession, and she is a graduate of Macquarie University. She is also a former swimmer and a water polo player. Steve Smith and Dani Willis tied that knot on September 15, 2018, at Berrima, New South Wales. 

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India vs Australia live: Mohammed Siraj spoils David Warner's comeback

Australia's Tim Paine won the toss and elected to bat first at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Swashbuckling opener David Warner made his much-anticipated return to the Test side after missing out on the first two contests with a groin injury. The dynamic batsman had a new opening partner in the form of young Will Pucovski for the encounter. However, the batsman failed to fire and was only managed to score 5 runs. 

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Debutant Wil Pucovski (62) showed great composure with the bat in his first Test and smashed an impressive half-century to steady the ship for this team on a rain-marred day. After the end of Day 1, Australia are 166/2. Steve Smith (31*) and Marnus Labuschagne (67*) looked comfortable at the crease, and the Indian bowlers will be eying to send them packing early on Day 2. 

India vs Australia live streaming

Fans can tune into the Sony Pictures Sports Network (SONY TEN 1, SONY TEN 3 and SONY SIX) at 5:00 AM (IST) from Thursday, January 7 for the live telecast of the match. The India vs Australia live streaming will also be made available on the SonyLIV app. To follow the live scores of the game, one can keep tabs on the social media accounts of the BCCI and Cricket Australia.

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Image source: AP