Even though the surfaces for this tour were much harder than 2017, Steven Smith was still able to demonstrate the potential of his batting prowess. He may have been beaten on the inside in Nagpur and had a stroke of bad luck in Delhi but these were isolated issues as he batted phenomenally overall. Still, Smith maintains that he could have done better, as he admitted his second innings shot in Delhi was one of the worst in his career. Overall, it looks like Smith is ready to continue dominating the cricket world like he did in 2017.
The grit and maturity shown by Steve Smith in the game against India in Indore was exemplary. His 26 runs had a much greater importance than their value, as it showed his team how to approach playing on a treacherous wicket. His understanding that sometimes it’s okay to get out to a sharp delivery – as long as it was part of your strategy – speaks volumes about his level-headedness. Even though he himself didn’t notch up big scores, Smith revealed his confidence in the team through his words and actions; his determination will allow Australia to believe they can overcome the challenge presented by India. With no sign of relenting, Smith is certainly going to pose many questions for India when batting conditions become more favourablk–they’ll be wary of giving him any extra chances.
Virat Kohli has had an uncharacteristically rough go in this series, making mistake after mistake and failing to convert several potential game-winning performances into half-centuries. He has come close, like in Delhi., yet few deny that he is struggling more than usual. This drought dates back to January 2022 when he last registered a half-century, 15 attempts ago. It’s understandable in the difficult batting conditions of overseas pitches and as former great Rahul Dravid said, centuries are near impossible in these conditions. Nevertheless, if his recent form is anything to go by, Kohli is still far from out of the game and could be just one breakthrough performance away from getting back among the runs.
Virat Kohli has been effective as always in this Test series, but runs have been difficult to come by. Murphy is proving to be an incredibly formidable opponent, with his skills successfully shutting-down Kohli’s usual methods of scoring runs. Rotating the strike with quick drives and flicks have so far been off the table for Kohli due to Murphy’s mastery on defence. However, such a situation should not be intimidating for someone like Kohli. He is more than capable of biding his time and letting chances come to him when they arrive. We’ve already seen Pujara and Khawaja take advantage of such techniques in Indore; both were patient when it took for them and earned multiple rewards for doing so. With what we’ve come to expect from Virat Kohli over the course of his career, odds are he will soon replicate their success with a little patience and a touch of luck.
