My time as captain is done, It’s Pat’s team now: Steve Smith

Steve Smith-led Australia beat India in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Friday. Smith revealed that he has no ambition to be the side’s full-time captain again. The 33-year-old, who was named as the interim skipper of Australia in the absence of Pat Cummins, led the team to a nine-wicket victory in the third Test. Notably, Australia trails 1-2 in the four-match series against India.

Smith captained Australia between 2014 and 2018. He was stripped off from the post following a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. The 33-year-old batter remains Cummins’ deputy since the pacer became Test captain in November 2021. Since then, he has stepped in three times to lead the side.

After leading Australia in the third Test, Smith said he had no ambition to return as a full-time captain. The 33-year-old also mentioned his love for captaining his side in India.

“My time as captain is done. It’s Pat’s team now. I’ve 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 favourite place in the world to captain,” Smith told reporters.

Australia secure WTC final spot after winning the third Test against India

Cummins-led Australia lost the first Two Tests miserably against the ruthless Indian side. Meanwhile, the Rohit Sharma-led India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after winning the second Test at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi later in February. After the second Test, Cummins returned home due to some family issues. However, Smith, who was tasked to do Cummins’ job, did not let his side down.

Pat Cummins is likely to head back to India before the fourth and final Test. By winning the third Test, Australia have confirmed their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June. Meanwhile, India’s chances to secure their spot in the WTC final will depend upon the result of the fourth Test and the series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The final Test is set to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad starting from March 9.