NEW DELHI: Focusing solely on Test cricket has allowed Steve Smith to stay fresh throughout the season, a stark contrast to previous years when juggling all three formats left him mentally and physically exhausted.

Having retired from ODIs, Smith took time off to recharge and is set to captain Australia in the opening Ashes Test beginning November 21 in Perth, with regular skipper Pat Cummins still recovering from a lower back injury.

The 36-year-old, who now spends his off-season in New York, revealed that he hadn't picked up a bat since August.

"I certainly get drained mentally quicker than I've probably used to," Smith told reporters in Sydney after his first training session.

"Ten years ago, I loved to come back and play every single game that I could. Now obviously my Test cricket has taken a huge priority.

"I know that when I play a lot at the start, by the end of the summer I'm pretty cooked mentally and probably can't produce the same performances," Smith recalled his younger days.

Smith believes that conserving his energy and selectively prioritising formats has paid off, a realisation that became evident when he struck two centuries during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last season.

"Last year, I was probably batting my best at the back end of the summer against India, coming off not too much cricket at the start. Honestly, it takes me two hits to get sorted. I feel like I'm ready to go now," Smith said.

Smith has just started training but he feels he is in good nick.

"Honestly, it takes me two hits to get sorted. I feel like I'm ready to go now," Smith said.

For Smith, remaining mentally fresh is key to good performances rather than spending a whole lot of time at the nets which he used to do when he was on the right side of 30s.

"There's obviously a balance, but I don't think it takes me much now to get up to game speed and I want to try and stay as mentally fresh. Technically, I feel in a good place, it's about being mentally fresh. I'm not hitting as many balls as I used to.

"It's to try and get the most out of myself mentally when I'm out in the middle and be able to concentrate for long periods of time."

While he believes it is premature to talk about his future or whether he would travel to England for the 2027 Ashes, he does feel that stop-gap captaincy when Cummins is absent feels way more easier compared to the time between 2013-2017 when he was the full-time captain.

"It's interesting how the brain works. I feel like I kind of go to another level and try to set a standard, I suppose."

(With PTI Inputs)