Parthiv Patel Impressed with Steve Smith’s Captaincy, Calls it ‘On Point’
Steve Smith led Australia to their first win of the tour (AP Photo)
Australia made a strong statement in the third Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Indore, winning the match by nine wickets. They bundled India twice in a space of few days. Former India keeper-batter Parthiv Patel was impressed by Steve Smith's captaincy in the Indore Test, in which 30 wickets fell in the first two days.
With Pat Cummins back home to look after his ailing mother, Smith took over captaincy in the Indore Test and led Australia to a strong comeback. Patel said that Smith led Australia with a lot of understanding of the game, which Cummins was unable to.
Steve Smith's captaincy was on point today. He rotated his bowlers really well, while also making sure he used the right bowler from the right end. He also looked very confident while taking DRS calls. Pat Cummins doesn't have enough captaincy experience, but Smith has a lot of it," Patel said on Cricbuzz.
Patel also said that there is a loophole in the system which Smith identified.
"Steve Smith is aware of that and he exploited the loophole. The on-field umpire should avoid going to the third umpire if he is sure that it's not out when there is an appeal for a stumping," Patel explained. "The ideal solution is that the TV umpire should only review the stumping if the appeal is made only for a stumping. A caught behind should not be checked unless the fielding captain opts for a review," Patel further added.
With a win in the Indore Test, Australia have secured their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Meanwhile, if India lose the fourth and final Test as well, their qualification for the WTC final will depend on the performance of Sri Lanka and South Africa in the last remaining two Test series.
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