Obsessive nature paying off for Smith

Steve Smith freely describes himself as a "headcase" whose obsessive nature sometimes gets the better of him.

But as 2017 draws to a close with his side having reclaimed the Ashes, the Australian skipper's status as the world's best batsman has never been more certain.

Comparisons to Don Bradman have grown louder after Smith racked up 1000 Test runs for a fourth consecutive year, taking his average to 62.32.

Smith has also become renowned and increasingly emulated for his unorthodox technique, his constant fidgeting at the crease and his insistence on having everything just so.

"I'm a bit of a headcase when it comes to everything with my batting," Smith told ABC Grandstand in an interview aired on Boxing Day.

"For me, it's about the look almost more than the feel.

"If everything looks right, if my shoelaces are tucked up and I can't see them, if my feet look straight, my bat looks good behind my foot, then everything's usually alright and I start to feel good and like I'm ready to play."

An emotional character who has worn his heart on his sleeve throughout his captaincy, Smith has admitted to reading virtually everything written about him - both positive and negative.

So it's perhaps unsurprising that a dropped catch in India continues to play on his mind months after his side fell short of reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

Smith - who scored a series-high 499 runs from four matches - put down an opportunity in the slips early in Cheteshwar Pujara's innings during the second Test in Bangalore.

Pujara went on to make 92 and India squared the ledger on the way to a 2-1 series victory.

"I take everything very personally," Smith said.

"I try not to let things continue to play in my mind too much, you've got to let it go and stay in the moment, but I have played that over in my head a few times and thought things could have been really different.

"Obviously if we'd won that second Test match, we'd retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy and you never know, we might have gone on to win the next one or things might have been different."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Australia won by 120 runs (Day-Night). Scorecard

Third Test Australia won by an innings and 41 runs. Scorecard

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21