Steve Smith did a remarkable job for his team by leading the side to a historic win against India in the 3rd Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the absence of Pat Cummins, Smith was handed the captaincy responsibility which did wonders for the visitors as they registered a 9-wicket win to make a comeback in the series.
Earlier, Pat Cummins-led Australia suffered back-to-back defeats in the first two games and lost the opportunity to win back the prestigious Border-Gavaskar trophy. After leading the Australia in 3rd Test, Smith has claimed that he has no ambition to lead the squad anymore, and its Pat Cummins’ Australia.
“My time as captain is done. It's Pat’s team now. I have obviously been able to stand in this week, obviously in tough circumstances with Patty going home. Our thoughts are still with him back home. But India is a part of the world I love captaining, it's probably my favorite place in the world to captain,” Smith told reporters.
Notably, Smith led Australia between 2014 and 2018 but was stripped of the role after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. The 33-year-old batter remains Cummins’ deputy since the pacer became Test captain in November 2021.
With a win in the 3rd Test, Australia became the first team to secure its berth in World Test Championship final. Meanwhile, India needs to win the 4th Test to qualify. The 4th Test will begin on March 4 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.