Steve Smith says India is his home away from home

What’s the story?

Australian captain and star batsman Steve Smith recently spoke about his affinity to India and how the country has now turned into a home away from home for him and his teammates.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, he said, “I love India, and I really enjoy being here for long periods while playing. We come so often, it has almost become my home away from home. I even have favourite restaurants. The food’s a bit spicy for me, but I can certainly make out the difference between North Indian cuisine and a South Indian preparation. Outside, the temperature takes a toll on you, but the warmth of the people makes up for that.”

Between Australia’s tour of India and the Indian Premier League this year, Australian cricketers like Smith and David Warner were in the country for almost four months. Staying away from home for such long periods of time must definitely take its toll on the players, but Smith believes that the passion Indians that harbour for the game makes up for most of it.

“I honestly didn’t know what to expect. But the passion people have for the game of cricket makes it so enjoyable for a professional cricketer to be here. If asked to pick one thing I love about Indians, it’d have to be their enthusiasm for everything: cricket, movies and life in general. If I have friends visiting, I’d like to take them to a cricket match! You can’t see India through my eyes without experiencing the crowds and noise at a game,” the 28-year-old stated.

In case you didn’t know...

Smith’s IPL journey is a phenomenal story to tell. He first played for the Sahara Pune Warriors under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly, where his athletic fielding set him apart from everyone else in the tournament.

He was then bought by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a whopping price of Rs. 4 crores, a number which seems even bigger considering the franchise it came from. Smith was one of the match-winners of the team and his stint as an interim captain in the 2015 season impressed the management so much that his role was made permanent by them.

However, after RR got suspended for two years, Smith shifted to Pune again, but under a different team this time around. He played for the Rising Pune Supergiant for two years and also led them to the final of the 10^th edition of the tournament earlier this year.

Smith had an exceptional Test Series in India as well and was the leading run-getter with more than 500 runs in four matches.

The details

Smith has an envious batting record on Indian soil

Smith said that he loves Dharmasala for its scenic beauty. The fourth Test of the India-Australia series was hosted in the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium in Dharamsala, and it also is the home ground of the Kings XI Punjab franchise in the IPL.

The right-hander might be in love with Dharamsala but picked Pune as his favourite city in the country, owing to his long-term association with its IPL teams. He fondly remembers the Test match victory that his team had over India in Pune and rates the century that he scored in its second innings as one of his best knocks ever.

What next?

Smith will surely be returning to India for the next edition of the IPL in 2018. However, his team will be changed again, considering the Rising Pune Supergiant might no longer contest in the competition.

You would hope that the ongoing pay dispute between Cricket Australia and its players comes with a definite solution soon so that Australia’s future tours to India are not hampered by the same.

Author’s take

The IPL has helped shrink the size of the cricketing world and international cricketers are closer to each other than ever. It is heart-warming to see foreign players being so attached to Indian players, grounds and cities.