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'My time as Australia's captain is done...': Steve Smith's remarkable revelation after beating India in Indore Test
There is no word on Cummins' return for the final Test in Ahmedabad. If the fast bowler can't make it then Steve Smith will lead Australia again. The batting great, however, says his time as the leader is up.
Steve Smith was in Dubai when he got to know that Pat Cummins won't be flying back to India for the third Test. The Australian captain, who went to Sydney after the defeat in the second Test, had decided to stay back to support his ailing mother. This meant, Smith, the designated vice-captain, would have to lead the Australian team out in the third Test in Indore. It was not something he was alien to. He led the side in 34 Tests between 2014 and 2018 before the ball-tampering saga shook Australian cricket. After his return and reinstatement in the leadership group (as vice-captain), Smith led Australia twice when regular skipper Cummins was not available. But this time, it was going to be a different challenge. Australia were 0-2 down and under immense pressure. Whitewash predictions were the norm and Australia desperately needed a win or a draw at least to ensure safe passage to the World Test Championship final.
The match did not start in an ideal way for Australia. Smith lost the toss in the most challenging wicket the visitors received in this tour. He knew bowling India out cheaply was the only way they were going to negate the danger of batting last on this track. He did exactly that. Smith captained spinners Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy brilliantly and bowled India out for 109.
Australia did not bat like a dream but they did enough to take an invaluable 88-run lead.
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The energy, planning and methods worked for Smith even in the second innings as India were once again bowled out cheaply - for 163. Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne made light work of the 76-run target despite losing Usman Khawaja for a duck as Australia won by nine wickets.
Apart from Lyon's bowling - he picked up 11 wickets in the match - and Khawaja's batting in the first innings, what stood out was Smith's captaincy. Cummins was criticised for not being able to take the game to India, Smith did exactly that and the results followed.
There is no word on Cummins' return for the final Test in Ahmedabad. If the fast bowler can't make it then Smith will lead Australia again. The batting great, however, says his time as the leader is up.
"My time as captain is done. It's Pat's team now," said the 33-year-old.
Smith, who was stripped of the captaincy and handed a year-long ban over a 2018 ball-tampering incident, said he still relishes making the big calls.
"Look, India is a part of the world I love captaining," Smith said.
"It's a game of chess, every ball means something. It's good to just move people and try to make the batter do something different and just play games with them.
"It's probably my favourite place in the world to captain."
The visitors squandered a strong position in the second Test in Delhi, losing eight wickets for 28 runs in a shambolic second-innings collapse.
"We screwed up I suppose in Delhi is one way to put it," said Smith.
"We had an opportunity there and let that slip, but we had a good break and a good preparation coming here and it was just about getting our mental states right."
Friday's victory was only Australia's second Test win in India since 2004 and means they will play in the ICC World Test Championship final in June at The Oval.
"It is very satisfying, I thought it was a great team performance all the way from day one," said Smith.
