IND vs AUS: Steve wonder!

Australia skipper Steve Smith during a net session at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

Steve Smith's influence in Australia's comeback win in Indore was massive, no matter if the dispassionate scorecard indicates that he made 26 in his only innings in the third Test and snaffled one catch apiece in each of India's two digs. It's another matter that his grab in the second, a fantastic reflex catch at leg-slip to dismiss a firmly entrenched Cheteshwar Pujara, perhaps lopped 30 or 35 off Australia's eventual target that was only 76.

Super skipper

It was as captain that Smith stood out the most. His canny bowling changes, based on instinct and intuition as much as his excellent reading of the game, didn't allow batsmen to get used to one mode of attack, even if it meant prematurely terminating a good spell. Fields were smart and designed to make batsmen think Smith, and Australia, were on to something when they actually weren't, and because he has led in India previously, he was well positioned to know when to pull back a little and when to attack a bit more.

Smith's captaincy tenure ended in tears and disgrace nearly five years ago for his part in sandpaper-gate in South Africa in 2018, a one-year playing sanction by Cricket Australia complemented by a further 12-month ban from a leadership role with the caveat that ‘any consideration of future leadership would be conditional on acceptance by fans and the public, form and authority among the playing group'.

Also read: Cheteshwar Pujara: My dream is to win WTC Final

Tim Paine took over from Smith and when the former left ingloriously, Pat Cummins was handed over the captaincy. Smith's reintegration, meanwhile, went smoothly and he twice led Australia (to victory) when the paceman was unavailable. The redemption song was sung most emphatically at the Holkar Stadium last week when Smith stepped in after Cummins left to be with his ailing mother with Australia 0-2 down and seemingly in tatters, only for the New South Welshmen to mastermind a glorious recovery.

No further aspirations

Smith, however, made it clear that he has no aspirations to be full-time captain anymore. "No, my time is done," he insisted after the nine-wicket victory. "It's Patty's team now. India is a part of the world I love captaining. It's a game of chess, every ball means something. It's probably my favourite place in the world to captain. You think back home in Australia, there's not much that goes on. You stick to the same game plan and trust what you are trying to do. 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. It's something I really love; I thought I did it well this week and it was good fun."

Smith will look to have more fun in Ahmedabad with Cummins not returning for the final Test. India have been forewarned.