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| India Vs Australia: Captaining in India like game of chess, says Steve Smith | | |  agencies
NEW DELHI, Mar 3: Steve Smith loves captaining in India and likens it to a game of chess, pushing one to stay a step ahead of the match Smith, who filled in for full-time captain Pat Cummins while he was attending to his ailing mother back home, led Australia to a memorable nine-wicket win in the third Test against India in Indore on Friday.
Australia's batting mainstay, who was their skipper in the previous tour back in 2017, also prefers playing on spin-friendly tracks rather than placid wickets that take the game to full five days.
Reflecting on the win in the most challenging of circumstances, Smith said he could not be more proud of his team, which fought back after losing the first two Tests inside three days.
"They are pretty hard to come by. For us to get on top in this game, particularly after losing the toss, it shows the talent in our group and the belief we have got in ourselves.
"We screwed it up in Delhi, letting that slip, but we had a good break and good preparation coming here.
"It was about getting our mental state right. It was about trusting ourselves and our methods. It was about having faith that we will succeed and taking the result out of play.
"We are pleased to have qualified for the final of the World Test Championship, which has obviously been on our radar for a little while. To tick that off is worth celebrating for this team," said Smith after Australia won their first Test in India in six years.
Smith is among the shrewdest thinkers of the game and that shows in his decision-making on the field. In Cummins' absence, Smith said he has done his bit and relished the responsibility.
"No, my time is done. It's Paddy's (Pat Cummins) team now. I'm glad I'm able to stand in this week in the circumstances obviously with Paddy going home. Our thoughts are still with him back home as well.
"Look, India is a part of the world I love captaining. It's a game of chess, every ball means something. It's good fun moving people and trying to make the batter think and something different and just playing games with them. It's probably my favourite place in the world to captain."
Captaining back home is much easier, he said.
"You think back home in Australia, you generally play with a third slip or putting a square leg up or back or pulling a third slip to cover... there's not much that goes on, you sort of stick to the same game plan and trust what you are trying to do there.
"In this part of the world, you have to be very proactive. Every ball is an event and that ball can dictate what happens the ball after. Something that I really love. I thought I did it well this week and it was good fun," he said. |
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