Steve Smith had a decision to make as day-five of the Boxing Day Test arrived. Australia were leading by 326 runs and all eyes were on their captain waiting him to wave his hand and call his batsmen in. The wait lasted until lunch, much longer than anticipated.
In the end, 70 overs proved to be a little too less for the Aussie bowlers to take 10 Indian wickets as the visitors got away with a draw. After the match Smith said the delay in declaration stemmed from his respect for India’s batting lineup after they valiantly went for the 364-run chase in Adelaide.
“I think the wicket out here was much better than Adelaide. At least Adelaide broke up and spun a lot for Nathan, which created opportunities there. We certainly didn’t have that out here. It was a very good wicket to bat on and we didn’t want to give them an opportunity,” Smith said.
"We've got another series win, which is what we were after, and hopefully we can finish well in Sydney.”
Smith said that he consulted coach Darren Lehmann and the senior players before deciding the right time for declaration but took the final call himself. However, he added that there was no difference of opinion in that matter.
"I changed my mind a couple of times. I wasn't quite sure when to pull out,” he said. "But as I said, I didn't really want to give India a crack with the batters they had in the shed and how good that wicket was.
“I just thought we could bat for 10-15 overs this morning, see how we go and that was pretty much it. We weren't too far off and that's just how the game played out in the end.
Another decision of Smith that drew limelight towards him was when he agreed with MS Dhoni to call it a draw with Australia needing four wickets in as many overs. Smith said he didn’t regret the timing of the declaration even as the game got close. He also said he didn’t believe Australia were in with a chance to pick those four wickets.
"I don't think there was still a win there,” he said. “All our bowlers were pretty cooked and it was just time to finish. I don't think we had four wickets in us at the end - there wasn't much breaking up in the wicket, there wasn't much going on, so I think that was it.”
There was a conjecture that one reason for not putting India in earlier was that Shaun Marsh was approaching a Test century that had eluded him for a long time. Smith, however, denied Marsh’s impending milestone playing a role in his decision making.
“No, that didn’t really come into the situation at all. We were just going to bat towards lunch,” he said. “He got close and we kind of thought we’ll see how we go. I thought lunch was our best opportunity and I just didn’t want to give them a crack.”
Smith also announced Australia’s squad for the fourth Test, in Sydney, which he said remains unchanged except for the addition of Ashton Agar.
“I think he’s bowling very well at the moment. He’s a good addition to the squad. We’ll see how the wicket is in Sydney when we get there and we’ll go from there,” he said.
He conceded that if the wicket demands, Australia might go in with two spinners in Sydney in Agar and Nathan Lyon. “We’ll just have to wait and see what the wicket is like. We’re not too sure what it will be like. Last year it had a bit of grass on it and previously it’s been quite a spin friendly wicket. So I think we will see how the wicket is and if he’s needed then he can play.”
