Steve Smith and co. are all set to take on the mighty Indian side in a four-match Test series, which commences on February 23 at Pune. A number of things are on the line for the Australian skipper, as India have been on a roll in the longest format of the game in recent times. With spin being their primary weapon, India have ripped apart South Africa, New Zealand and England on home soil.
Tormentors-in-chief – Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – scalped 28 and 26 wickets respectively in the Test series against England. Prior to that, the duo wreaked havoc against New Zealand by accounting for 41 wickets between them.
Extra Cover: 5 current Australian players who were part of the tour of India in 2013
India have been outstanding since Virat Kohli’s appointment as Test skipper; they have won six consecutive Test series; out of which, the last three came at home. To add to Kohli’s good fortune, India is yet to witness a single defeat in their backyard with him being at the helm.
The Australian side, on the other hand, have been one of the most dominant sides in world cricket. They have scored heavily across the globe and terrorised some of the best batting line-ups with their menacing pace attacks. However, the same confidence has been missing when they have played with the red ball in the sub-continent in recent times. Australia had an awful time in Sri Lanka in 2016 and before that in the UAE against Pakistan.
With India all set to lock horns with Australia, let’s see how this tour can define Steve Smith’s career as a skipper.
#1 Beating India in their backyard is a challenge
India have been a force to reckon with in Tests, especially at home. For any Test playing nation, beating them in their own den is a matter of pride and India have certainly kept their record of being unbeaten at home, intact for last six Test series. The last time, when India lost a Test series at home was back in 2012 against England.
Since then, the side has undergone numerous changes and transformed under the new skipper, Virat Kohli. India have now played in 19 Tests, without enduring a defeat. They stand at fifth spot in the list after West Indies (27), England (26) and Australia (25 and 22).
The current crop of Indian cricketers have been nearly unstoppable and Smith has a mountain to climb ahead of him, as a player and also as a skipper. If Smith manages to pull this one off, then it will not only create a massive upset but a number of records will be shattered.
#2 Opportunity to join the elite league
Not many Australian captains have won a Test series in India. In fact, winning a Test series in India is not every captain’s cup of tea and records are a testament to it. Only four Australian captains have managed to win a Test series in India – Ian Johnson, Richie Benaud, Bill Lawry and Adam Gilchrist. Even Ricky Ponting, who led Australia to two World Cup titles, will find this record missing in his glamorous cricket chronicle.
It’s an opportunity for Smith to join the elite league of Australian captains and script his name in the history of Test cricket with gold. Also, Australia have not won a single Test series in India since 2004. Since then they have toured Indian on three occasions – 2008, 2010 and 2013, without much success. In fact, they haven’t manage to win a single Test in the last 10 encounters in India.
The last time Australia won a Test series in the subcontinent was back in 2011, where they beat Sri Lanka by 1-0 in a three-match series. Since then, Australia have played three Test series in the subcontinent without winning any.
They were first whitewashed by India after which Pakistan inflicted a similar damage in 2014/15 in the UAE followed by the horrendous Sri Lankan tour. This is a massive opportunity for Australia to break the jinx and end their losing streak in India and also the subcontinent.
#3 Boost his self-confidence as a player and skipper
Smith has been the backbone of Australia’s batting and has scored runs on a consistent basis. His success as the captain will not only influence the team’s morale but also have a great impact on his captaincy. Smith averages 73.73 as the skipper of the side in Tests as compared to his overall average of 60.15. These figures corroborate the belief that he likes to flourish under pressure.
He has led Australia in 20 Tests, won 11, lost 5 and drawn on four occasions. This is also his first assignment as captain on Indian soil and a solid start will only do good to his captaincy career. Smith is a fighter, and this is a big battle. Teams like England, New Zealand, South Africa and Bangladesh have not managed to beat India at home and this is the Aussie captain’s litmus Test as the skipper of the side.
Australia are scheduled to play England in one of the most intense cricket battles known to mankind – The Ashes, in November. With this being the only Test series preceding the Ashes, it will be important for Smith, as a skipper or a player to fare well. A good run in this series will bolster his and the team’s confidence for the upcoming Ashes, as the onus of making a comeback is on the Aussies.
#4 Battle of the titans
Smith and Indian skipper Virat Kohli are indubitably one of the best batsmen in the circuit and fierce competitors in their own way. Smith took over the captaincy from Michael Clarke at a similar time when MS Dhoni stepped down and Kohli was handed over the responsibility. Both have been instrumental in their team’s success and garnered runs on a consistent basis.
Smith was the tormentor-in-chief when India took on Australia in the previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 769 runs at a mind-boggling average of 128.16. The pressure of replicating his magical performance in India will be huge on the Australian skipper. The Australian captain averages just over 73 as the skipper of the side, while Kohli, on the other hand, boasts of a healthy average of 67.22 as captain.
Smith has led the Australian side in 20 games and scored 2212 runs while Kohli has marshalled the Indian side in 23 encounters, scoring 2353 runs. The stage is set for both the loyalists and this series will serve as an ideal battleground for these two better their counterpart’s record. This will be a battle within the battle for Smith as Kohli has the advantage, whereas the former carries an experience of a couple of Tests, 5 ODIs, 4 T20Is and ample of Indian Premier League games on his back.
#5 Personal milestone and building a team
Smith is just a step away from reaching another milestone. He has scored 930 runs against India in Tests so far, another 70 runs to his existing tally will make him the 11th Australian batsman to have scored 1,000 Test runs against India. His deputy, David Warner, is right behind him with 888 runs against India. The race to get to the landmark is certainly on between both the batting stalwarts.
The Indian tour will without a doubt test Australia’s Achilles’ heel. Australia have drafted some budding talents, who are hungry to leave a mark on the grandest stage. With many new players like Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Agar and Steve O’Keefe all set to take the field on Indian soil for the first time, the series would serve as an ideal platform in identifying players’ tactics and strategies.
Some strengths and weaknesses of players will come to light, which helps the skipper and the management in identifying his resources and adjust according to the conditions in the distant future.
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