Cricket: Steve Smith denies talk he smeared lip balm on ball

AAP

22 Jan, 2018 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Australia's Steve Smith. Photo / AP

Steve Smith will stay at No4 for the remainder of the ODI series against England, but the Australian captain says he needs to recapture his form at the crease.

Smith dropped down from No3 in Sunday's 16-run loss to England at the SCG, which ensured the visitors of an uncatchable 3-0 lead in the five-game series, in a bid to add more stability to the middle order after late-innings disappointments plagued Australia's first two losses of the series.

The batting maestro hit 45 from 66 and combined in two half-century stands with Aaron Finch and Mitch Marsh on Sunday, before Australia again failed to up the tempo late in their attempted chase of 302 for six.

"I think I'll probably do it for the rest of the series," Smith said, after having batted at No3 since mid-2016. ''It was about me trying to control the middle with the spinners and just keep getting off strike. I should have been up around a run a ball and it would have made things a bit easier at the back end."

Australia have made their worst start to a home one-day summer since 2001-02.

And Smith shot down social media claims he tampered with the ball in the loss. Video posted on Twitter showed Smith putting his hands on the side of his lips, then rubbing his fingers on the ball, prompting claims he had rubbed lip balm on the ball.

Under the laws of cricket, the ball can be polished by a fielder "provided that no artificial substance is used".

The video, taken from the 34th over, was shown to Smith by an Australian official.

''It was all spit," he said. "People said something about lip balm, if you look at my lips they are pretty dry. I certainly didn't have any of that on. There was nothing in it."

He did find himself in trouble with the match officials for slow over-rates, after Australia fell two overs short of completing them in the allocated three-and-a-half hours, even with time allowances given. The Australian captain was fined 40 per cent of his match fee, and faces a one-match ban if his team fail to get through their overs again in the next year. Australia also sent down 13 wides and a no ball.

Australia have now lost 10 of their last 11 ODIs and their record since the last World Cup is 26-24, well below that of England, New Zealand, South Africa and India.

England shook up their approach after their shock knockout in the group stages at the World Cup. They now centre their game around most of the team attacking throughout the innings, with Joe Root and Eoin Morgan the anchors.