"I Am Not Buying...": Steve Smith's Blunt Take On 'India Advantage' Row In Champions Trophy

Australia captain Steve Smith played down venue advantage to India after being comprehensively beaten by four wickets in the semi-final of the ongoing Champions Trophy in Dubai. India playing at one venue has been a hot topic for debate among former cricketers and some sections of fans. There has hardly been any press conference where questions haven't been raised about tournament scheduling. After India stormed into the final, head coach Gautam Gambhir quickly dismissed the possibility of his side receiving an undue advantage of playing all of their matches in Dubai.

Even Smith didn't buy into the claims that India had an advantage by playing all its matches at one venue and felt India deserved to win, considering they had completely "outplayed" them.

"Yeah, look, I'm not buying into it. I think it is what it is. India obviously played some really good cricket here. The surface kind of suits their style with the spinners that they've got and the seamers that they have at their disposal for a wicket like that. They played well, they outplayed us, and they deserve the victory," Smith said in the post-match press conference on Tuesday night.

After Australia won the toss and opted to bat, glimpses of the 2023 final reverberated in the stadium. Travis Head provided a brisk start with his swift 39 (33), putting the Baggy Greens in a dominant position. With Australia scoring at a healthy run rate, a total somewhere around 300 appeared to be plausible.

The only factor keeping them from hitting their goal was Indian bowlers regularly breaking their partnerships at crucial junctures. Smith admitted that if they had managed to drag one of their stands, 290 to 300 would have been a realistic total instead of settling for 264.

"Yeah