After a terrific knock of 239 runs in the first innings of the Perth Ashes Test, Steven Smith has been praised all around the cricket fraternity for his astounding ability to play the long innings. The Australian captain made his runs with relative ease in the beginning, but after a few hours, Smith seemed a little tired.

And the captain actually suggested that he was indeed a little tired after batting for such a long period. However, Australia strength and conditioning coach, Stephen Kelly, apparently forced him to eat some sugar and a banana to regain his lost strength.

"I was actually really tired at tea yesterday, and was struggling a little bit then, and went in and had to have some sugar and a banana and something to eat," Smith told ABC Radio. "I don't like to eat too much when I bat.

"The strength and conditioning coach Kelly basically forced it down my throat and said 'You need something to eat.' It was good in the end, because it switched me back on and I actually felt pretty good in the last session. I was a little bit tired last night, but a good tired after batting for so long."

Smith then enthused that he enjoyed batting with Mitchell Marsh as the 26-year-old scored a brilliant 181 to form a huge partnership with his captain.

"I really enjoyed it, particularly out there with Mitch [Marsh] who was playing so well and scoring so freely, it just enabled me to just keep batting and keep batting, and hopefully a few more this morning."