Steve Smith - players.bio

Steve Smith To Captain Australia In 4th Test vs India, Pat Cummins To Stay Home: Report

Star batter Steve Smith will lead Australia in the fourth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as regular captain Pat Cummins has decided not to return to India. According to a report in cricket.com.au, Smith will captain Australia once again, having led the team a morale-boosting nine-wicket win in the third Test in Indore last week. Cummins, who departed the tour following the second Test in Delhi last month, will remain in Sydney where his mother Maria is ill with breast cancer and is in palliative care.

"Was Carrying Hangover": Ex-India Star Critical Of Rohit Sharma And Co After Indore Test Loss

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels that the Indian team lost the third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia as it was in the hangover of its dominance in the series by then. It is worth noting that the Indian team outplayed the guests in the first two Tests of the four-match series. The Rohit Sharma-led side won the first game by an innings and 132 runs in Nagpur before it registered a 6-wicket victory in New Delhi. However, Australia bounced back in the third game and defeated India by 9 wickets in Indore.

Watch: Australia Fan's "Jhukega Nahi" Celebration Goes Viral After 3rd Test Win

After facing consecutive losses in the first two matches, Australia finally took a sigh of relief last week, thrashing India in the third Test by nine wickets. After bundling out India for just 163 runs, the visitors had a target of 76 runs which they chased down in just few hours of Day 3 at a loss of one wicket. The 78-run partnership between Travis Head (49*) and Marnus Labuschagne (28*) gave Australia a big win. As The Steve Smith-led side had a great outing on the field, the fans also could not hide their excitement at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

"Threat To Life": Sunil Gavaskar Gives Brisbane Reference As 'Poor' Indore Pitch Gets 3 Demerit Points

The third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Indore between India and Australia ended in a little over two days on Friday, with the visitors winning by nine wickets. After the match, the International Cricket Council (ICC) deemed the Holkar Stadium pitch used for the third Test, which was played under the ICC World Test Championship umbrella, as "poor" under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

Australia's Smith has no full-time captaincy ambition

NEW DELHI : Steve Smith has no ambition to be Australia's full-time captain again, the 33-year-old said after leading the team to a nine-wicket victory in the third test against India on Friday.

"What Are We Trying To Prove": Ex-India Selector Fumes Over Pitch Controversy

The pitches used in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia have dominated headlines continuously with all three Test matches till now finishing within three days. The criticism got worse as the pitch in Indore was deemed “poor” by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and it even received three demerit points. Former India selector Saba Karim expressed his concern at the growing trend of spin-friendly pitches in the series and even wondered what the point of this strategy can be with respect to the spirit of the game. During a recent interaction, he lamented the lack of support for batsmen in the Indore pitch and said that an even contest will be appreciated by both fans and players.

International Cricket Council Rates Indore Pitch, Which Hosted 3rd India-Australia Test, As 'Poor'

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has declared the pitch used for the third Test encounter between India and Australia in Indore as “poor” under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process and as a result, the Holkar Stadium has received three demerit points. The pitch received a lot of criticism from experts due to the uneven pace and bounce on offer with 30 wickets falling in just two days. The pitch conditions specifically favoured the spins from both sides with 26 out of the 31 wickets that fell during the match going to spin bowlers. The decision was taken following a conversation between match referee Chris Broad and the two captains – India's Rohit Sharma and Australia's Steve Smith.

"Getting India Cheaply In...": Australia Great On How Steve Smith's Team Trumped Rohit Sharma And Co.

Former captain Ian Chappell believes getting India out cheaply in the first morning of the third Test here, on a pitch that offered vicious turn and uneven bounce, was key to Australia's turnaround in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Indian batters lacked application and were dismissed for 109 and 163 in two innings of the match, which Australia won by an emphatic nine wickets to seal their place in the World Test Championship final. Australia's victory came after they lost the first two Tests in Nagpur and Delhi inside three days.

Contacts

Steve Smith Sport News

Steve Smith To Captain Australia In 4th Test vs India, Pat Cummins To Stay Home: Report

"Was Carrying Hangover": Ex-India Star Critical Of Rohit Sharma And Co After Indore Test Loss

Watch: Australia Fan's "Jhukega Nahi" Celebration Goes Viral After 3rd Test Win

"Threat To Life": Sunil Gavaskar Gives Brisbane Reference As 'Poor' Indore Pitch Gets 3 Demerit Points

Australia's Smith has no full-time captaincy ambition

"What Are We Trying To Prove": Ex-India Selector Fumes Over Pitch Controversy

International Cricket Council Rates Indore Pitch, Which Hosted 3rd India-Australia Test, As 'Poor'

"Getting India Cheaply In...": Australia Great On How Steve Smith's Team Trumped Rohit Sharma And Co.