Steve Smith, Australia’s stand-in captain, has revealed the really intriguing and “exciting” activity he engaged in prior to playing the third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Steve Smith has been appointed captain in the absence of Australia‘s usual Test captain Pat Cummins. The decision proved to be immensely successful, as Australia, after suffering two heavy defeats in the first two Tests, returned to winning ways by defeating India by nine wickets in the third Test.
Steve Smith outlines the chess-like strategy behind his winning leadership.
“It’s a game of chess, and each piece has significance. During the post-match news conference for the third Test, the 33-year-old stated, “It’s a lot of fun to move guys around, try to make the batter think about something different, and just play games with them.”
The right-handed batter compared captaincy to a game of chess. To think, strategize, and move players around the field and position them so as to utterly confound the opponent, similar to chess. Mind games with the opponent inspired the top hitter to constantly bring out the best in his teammates.
He added that India is a place where he particularly enjoys playing and leading his team. He stated that because the conditions in India are so challenging, one must constantly be creative and on the lookout for alternatives.
“It’s definitely my favorite spot to captain in the world. You believe that back home in Australia, you normally play with a third slip, put a square-leg up or back, or pull a third slip to cover… there’s not much variation; you adhere to the same game plan and have faith in your abilities. In this region of the globe, you must be really proactive. Every ball is an event, and each ball can determine what happens next. Something that I truly enjoy. I thought I performed well this week, and it was enjoyable,” Steve Smith continued.
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