Steve Smith speaks out after Usman Khawaja drama in first Test
Steve Smith has opened up about his furious reaction to being run out in Australia's first innings against Sri Lanka in Galle last week.
Smith was left livid after a mix-up with in-form batter Usman Khawaja, which left him stranded in the middle of the pitch.
WOW: Virat Kohli cops embarrassing new blow after England Test drama
NOT FAIR: Wife Candice lashes out over David Warner 'injustice'
The mercurial batter attempted to get back to his crease as he dived to make ground.
Smith was livid when he got back to his feet and gestured towards Khawaja as he marched back to the pavilion.
His reaction drew criticism from Aussie greats Ian Chappell and Mark Taylor.
Chappell was particularly critical having called out Smith's reaction towards another teammate considering he is vice-captain of the team.
However, Smith has moved to quell any locker room disturbances.
"I hate getting run out. I think anyone does," Smith said.
"Particularly given the (tough) conditions and gifting them a wicket. As one of the most experienced players I was pretty upset.
"That happens in the game. I got over it pretty quickly. I had to keep moving forward and that is part of the game.
"I spoke to Uz straight after and he was pretty chilled. Mix-ups happen, we keep moving on."
Steve Smith seeking time out in the middle
Smith would have been most upset in not spending time out on the pitch after a lacklustre stretch without a century, considering his lofty standards.
Despite averaging 59.37, Smith hasn't scored a test century since his 131 against India at the SCG in 2021.
Recently, Smith missed the final three one-day internationals in Sri Lanka with a quad injury and only faced 11 balls in his one innings in Galle before his run out.
The former captain batted through another lengthy net session on Wednesday, working hard on facing left-arm spin with throwdowns from former New Zealand tweaker Dan Vettori.
Smith employs a different approach to most Australians against the spinners, only using the sweep when the ball spins back into him.
He was Australia's leading run-scorer on the last tour of Sri Lanka, relying on a fast-feet method to try and unsettle the bowlers.
"I'm not a huge sweeper so I prefer to run down the wicket and get them off their lengths that way or come back into my crease," Smith said.
"Really it's about not getting stuck on the crease with the ball spinning into me.
"If I'm doing that well and fast on my feet, I usually feel pretty good."
with AAP
Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.