India vs Australia 2017: Steven Smith feels Pune wicket was more likely to suit the Indian players
What’s the story?
Australian skipper Steve Smith has said that he felt the pitch was more likely to suit the Indian players, but it played into the visitors’ hands. The team from Down Under defeated India comfortably at Pune by an astonishing margin of 333 runs.
Speaking to the media in the post-match press conference, he said, "I think it was certainly a wicket that would more likely suit the Indian players. I think it evened up the contest a lot more. So, it was up to them to prepare a wicket, and they prepared a wicket that actually played into our hands. It would be interesting to see what they come up with come Bangalore.”
In case you didn’t know...
This was India’s fourth’s biggest defeat in their Test match history. In addition to this, it was captain Virat Kohli’s first ever Test defeat on home soil and was twinned with Australia’s second biggest victory against India at home to make it look even worse for the hosts.
The touring team was deemed as one of the worst Australian sides to visit India in recent history, but Steven Smith’s men comprehensively defeated the Indians against all odds.
Also Read: India's 5 biggest defeats in Test cricket
The heart of the matter
Steven Smith was a thoroughly elated man in the post-match press conference yesterday. Australian skipper became the first captain in 13 years to win a Test match in India.
Smith credited his bowlers for the win and reserved special praise for the left-arm off-spinner Steve O’Keefe who claimed 12 of the 20 Indians. He complimented O’Keefe’s ability to beat the bat on both sides with subtle variations.
The Australian captain was also quick to point out that the pitch should have favoured the Indian players and was tailor-made for them. However, his player made use of the conditions to register a historic win.
He went on to say that it will be interesting to see how pitches for the upcoming Test matches will turn out. Smith also expects his counterpart Kohli to come back stronger in the next match.
What’s next?
The two sides will face off in the second Test match which is scheduled to begin on 4th of next month in Bangalore. It will be interesting to see how Kohli marshals his troops against this lively Australian side who have their noses in front after an unexpected triumph in the first Test match.
Sportskeeda’s take
Australia had nothing to lose while India had everything at stake to maintain their unbeaten run. However, the hosts failed miserably. Kohli is now an experienced captain in the International arena and will try his to level the series. Aussies might have caused an upset, but we believe that a series win for India is still likely.