Brisbane [Australia], December 3 : Australia stand-in captain Steve Smith has said he will use the anti-glare strips under his eyes while batting during the second Ashes Test in Brisbane after he got some advice from West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul. The second game of the five-match Ashes Test series will be a pink-ball Test at the Gabba, starting December 4.
Smith trained with the anti-glare strips under lights ahead of the Brisbane Test against England. The veteran added that he felt a positive impact from wearing those under his eyes.
The Australian batter admitted he had a conversation with Chanderpaul, asking the West Indies great whether he was wearing it correctly.
"I actually messaged Shivnarine Chanderpaul and asked him what his thoughts were, whether he wore the chalk or the strips. He said the strips, and he thinks it blocks out 65% of the glare. And he also said, 'I've seen photos and you're wearing them the wrong way'. So yesterday I put them on the right way," Smith said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"I agree with him. I think it certainly stops the glare. Yeah, I'll be wearing them," Smith added.
The anti-glare strips are small, black adhesive strips worn on the cheekbone. It is frequently used in several American sports and is designed to reduce the glare from floodlights by absorbing the light that would otherwise reflect off the skin.
Smith opened up that batting against the pink ball is hard. In day-night Tests, the veteran batter averages 37.04 with one century.
"It's hard to bat all the time. It's a tricky one. The ball reacts obviously differently to a red one. It can change quickly. It can start moving randomly," Smith said.
"You've got to try and play what's in front of you at that time and when it does shift on you and the ball starts doing something different, you've got to try and come up with plans to counter that, whether it be more aggressive, whether it be going to your shell and trying to get through that period. Everyone's different. It's trying to be one step ahead when it does start to shift," Smith added.
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