Steve Smith exhibited his astute leadership abilities when he guided Australia to victory in the third Test in Indore. Smith was appointed as captain of the team as Pat Cummins had opted to remain in Australia to tend to his ailing mother who unfortunately passed away.
During the last two Test matches, Smith had the chance to demonstrate his proficiency as the Test captain. His extensive knowledge of the game, as well as his ability to comprehend its intricacies, played a crucial role in leading Australia to a victory in the Indore Test and aiding them in making a comeback in the series.
Despite having numerous encounters with Steve Smith in the past, Ravichandran Ashwin lauded him for his shrewd captaincy during the last two Tests. As someone who is renowned for his own ability to analyze the game, Ashwin commended Smith for his approach to leading Australia in the last two matches, particularly in Indore.
Ravichandran Ashwin praises Steve Smith
“Steven Smith led the Australians in an outstanding manner under such circumstances. He is very creative and gets the game. We are aware of the fact that he is a great batsman, but to be a great student of the game, you need to know all the nuances. He gets the game. He knows when to do what and he gets the hang of the game,” Ashwin said.
The Indian off-spinner, in particular, commended Smith for his captaincy in the Indore Test, where he prevented India from gaining an upper hand in the match. Ashwin also applauded Smith’s utilization of Nathan Lyon, who ended up taking 11 wickets in the match.
“He led them really well in the last two Tests, be it field placement or bowling changes, he was spot on. He never let us take control in the Indore Test,” he added.
During this series, both Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon displayed their exceptional bowling abilities. The two spinners achieved several milestones during the series. Ashwin crossed the mark of 100 wickets against India in Test matches and also reached 50 wickets against India in India. Thanks to his six-wicket haul in the first innings of the fourth Test, Ashwin finished the series with a tally of 25 wickets. Lyon and Ravindra Jadeja closely followed with 22 wickets each.
