It was tough to find a man happier and more satisfied than Steve Smith at the Gabba. In his first Test as Australia’s captain, he scored a century and then walked on to the post-match presentation podium as the winning captain.
After Australia’s thrilling four-wicket win to take a 2-0 lead in the series, Smith showered praise on his bowlers for their performance throughout the match, especially in the first session on the fourth day, in which they picked up six Indian wickets for 87 runs. It turned the match on its head and Australia sealed the win with a day to spare.
“All the bowlers produced the goods in this game – Josh Hazlewood was outstanding, Nathan Lyon did the job here and there and Shane Watson maintained outstanding pressure throughout the game.”
The spark was ignited by Mitchell Johnson, first with his knock of 88 in the first innings and then his spell in the morning where he picked three Indian wickets.
“Mitch really turned it around with that spell and cracked the game open for us,” Smith said. “It was just outstanding the way he came out and batted in the first innings and took the bowlers on. They got off their lengths a little bit and it helped me at the other end as well.
After dismissing India for 224 in the second innings, Australia were chasing 128 for victory. While their victory was a foregone conclusion, there were a few nervous moments when they lost six wickets on their way. Smith, however, didn’t read much into the mini-collapse.
“The boys were going for their shots and trying to finish things quickly. There are no hiccups there and everyone is in good form,” he said.
The Aussie skipper, however, was doubtful about the fitness of Mitchell Marsh, who went off the field with a niggle in the first innings and looked gingerly while batting today.
“Mitch Marsh was struggling a bit yesterday and also today with his running. The physio and the will have a look at him for the next couple of days and make a decision as to where we need to go from there,” Smith said.
