Captain or not, onus falls on Steve Smith to show Australia's batters the way

Not only was it the most eye-catching shot of the innings, but Steve Smith walked the talk and educated his fellow teammates on what being proactive means. Smith opened his account in the second innings of the Nagpur Test with a lofted six over mid-on by dancing down the track off Ravindra Jadeja. It was a free flow of the bat and was a reminder of what getting stuck at the crease does.

Before the first Test, the vice-captain had laid bare Australia's batting blueprint in the series at a press conference, with 'proactive' and 'brave' being the notable words. Having toured India twice before this series to play red-ball cricket, Smith knew the importance of playing with soft hands combined with precise footwork. He also knows that Indian spinners can wreak havoc if they go without a plan.

He said:

"I think you can kind of get into your innings a bit more in Australia … you probably get more opportunities to like leave the ball and things like that. If you don't go in with a plan against their spinners, for instance, and you're just having a look, there's a good chance you'll find yourself back in the shed before you figure out what to do. So having a plan straight up is important."

But no Australian batter other than Smith looked just as efficient against pacers and spinners alike.

For all the preparations the visitors had deeply invested themselves in, only Smith and Marnus Labuschagne implemented it in the actual scenario, if not to the fullest. But Australia's meltdown in Nagpur showcased that only two batters reliably had the stomach for a fight and the technique to defy India's vaunted attack. As their top-scorer in the first innings, Labuschagne showed massive promise for the rest of the series.

It is no secret that Smith loves batting and has trained rigorously to avoid getting beaten on the inside edge. However, Jadeja did it successfully twice, albeit once off a no-ball. He will want to work his backside off ahead of the second Test in Delhi. He is a quick learner and, as Justin Langer once said, 'the greatest problem solver'.

The likes of Usman Khawaja and David Warner looked like walking wickets against spin and it's hard to see them return with runs after such a battering. But they would be equally determined to bounce back.

Peter Handscomb looked efficient against spin despite a middling performance and Alex Carey's temptation to play the reverse sweep consistently got the better of him twice.

It's unclear how much of a positive impact it would have for Australia to drop David Warner and bring in Travis Head, who also lacks the sub-continent smarts. But the former greats are not at fault for singling out Warner for thwarting his chances. If fit, Cameron Green is a straight swap for Matt Renshaw, who also proved a liability in Nagpur.

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Will the entire burden fall on Steve Smith again?

Can Marnus Labuschagne be the ally Smith needs? (Credits: Getty)

The heavy innings defeat in Nagpur begs the question of whether Smith will have to do the heavy lifting with the bat, much like how it happened six years ago. Unlike in the 2016-17 leg, this time Australia landed in India on the back of high expectations, with former greats tipping them to break the 19-year drought.

They had reasons despite India's unparalleled home domination as Australia had a prolific top five. Moreover, Australia thought they had gathered enough support crew for Smith, who averaged a daunting 60 in their backyard and over 70 overall.

Yet, the previous series was a more closely fought contest than the ongoing one might be.

Smith, who led Australia then, carried his purple patch into the series and took it to the next level by striking three centuries and averaging 71.29 in four Tests. The former Aussie captain might not be in that ominous of a form at present, but he is not that far from a similar run and a tweaked technique that only spells trouble for the opposition. Even now, as the vice-captain, there are immense responsibilities on his shoulders.

Pat Cummins might be the official captain, but Smith is Australia's batting tycoon in Test cricket. Despite a lean run in that brief period after the 2019 Ashes series, Australia's fortunes have revolved around him. It's hard to see them winning an overseas Test without him in the line-up.

He has inspired them to numerous wins from tricky circumstances; hence, captain or no captain, the burden falls on him. And based on the result in Nagpur, the question for Australia is how long will it be before he goes down fighting? Will he find at least one strong and consistent ally, the lack of which robbed Australia of a series win in India in 2017? We haven't mentioned the bowlers here whose lack of penetration was just as responsible for the innings defeat in Nagpur.

India has unquestionably been the most challenging place for visiting players, especially batsmen. But India, the opposition and venue, were Smith's making in Test cricket. As Smith said before the series, 'winning in India is bigger than the Ashes'. But the question is whether he will be able to add that feather to his cap before retiring.Given the legacy he has established in the format, it would be hugely disheartening to see him retire from the sport without conquering the final frontier.