India vs Australia, semi-final: Steve Smith, Australia’s MVP

Steve Smith played a sublime knock against India at the SCG on Thursday. (Source: AP)

“I think we’ll have a little edge over them with a few scars from the matches throughout the summer. They didn’t beat us once. So I think that’s going to be playing on their mind a little bit.”(Full Coverage| Venues | Fixtures)

A day before the semi-final against India, Australia’s numero-uno batsman, Steve Smith was playing mind games. He did not need to because he had used his bat to do the talking all through the season.

Smith had been in top form with the bat against India. His knock of 105 on Thursday was just continuation of an excellent run he has had with the bat. He has now played four ODIs against India and this was just the second time he came out to bat. In his previous appearance against India, he scored 47 in the tri-series that preceded the World Cup.

Throughout the season, Smith was severe on the Indian bowlers and had in fact struck four hundreds in the four-match Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the four-match series, Smith ended with 769 runs from eight innings with a best of 192. During the season, Smith was also promoted to be Australia’s Test captain after injury ruled out regular captain Michael Clarke. Responsibility seemed to get the best out of Smith as he ended with an average of 128.16.

Smith’s form in the season has raised a debate in Australia about who should be their skipper. There have been many who have plumped for Smith to be the captain, whereas some others have favoured status quo. Clarke’s fitness battles have meant that he is forever battling doubts in his mind before playing.

Clarke joined the debate and announced that he was ready to play under Smith. “I feel for Smitty, because I sat in his shoes when a lot of the media were trying to call for Ricky Ponting to retire. It’s certainly not personal between Smitty and I, we’ve been friends for a long time and will continue to be. The people that sit above both him and I will make their decisions.

“Whatever they feel is the best 11 players, they’ll pick that 11. Whoever they feel is the best captain for the team, then they’ll pick that. If my time is over as a player – or as a captain – then, you know, the game moves on. I still think I have a lot to offer the team, I still feel like I can perform and help us have success, but that’s out of my hands. The most important thing for me is to get fit and healthy,” Clarke told Triple M, a radio station in Melbourne. Clarke’s predecesor Ricky Ponting understood his predicament, but he called for Smith to only take over as the ODI captain after the World Cup.

But former players like ex-Australian captain Ian Chappell had backed Smith’s elevation. “Michael Clarke is probably going to struggle to make the Caribbean. He [Smith] could be captain for quite a while now. And if he does a decent job I don’t think Michael Clarke should be given the job back. I think he should keep it,” Chappell said on Channel Nine.

Smith’s excellent form had certainly raised his stocks in Australia. He even swept the Allan Border Medal Night, the annual Cricket Australia awards night. He won the Test player of the year award, ODI player of the Year Award and above all the Allan Border Medal. It was just reward for a man who started the 2014-15 season as 12th man in the ODI series against South Africa. Smith has raised his profile in the last 12 months and is certainly now among the best batsmen in the world.

Australian captaincy maybe a step too far for now, but Smith is certainly the MVP Down Under.

Source:: Indian Express