Australia’s Test captain Tim Paine is confident that the Sydney incident would not affect Steve Smith’s performance in the fourth Test match against India scheduled in Brisbane. As per him, the Aussie will come out best in the last Test of the series.
Steve Smith was again alleged as a cheater because of one of his quirky habits. He was captured scuffing up the batting crease during the drink breaks on the fifth day of the third Test. Netizen and many cricket experts had accused him of removing Rishabh Pant’s guard intentionally. However, after the match, Tim Paine defended his batsman bashing all the cheating allegations.
Steve Smith has himself denied that he did anything that was unsportsmanlike and insisted that he has been left “quite shocked and disappointed” by the fallout. He insisted that it is a regular, harmless habit of his – a similar point made by skipper Tim Paine.
Steve Smith is in a good frame of mind: Tim Paine
The wicketkeeper-batsman has opined that Steve Smith has a tough mind and all the controversy will not affect him. Moreover, he believes that the incident will push him to give his best in Brisbane to quite all the critics.
“Steve is in a good frame of mind. I think we’ve seen through what he’s been through in the last three years… he’s mentally very strong, very tough. He knows sometimes he’s going to be criticised and he’s handled that supremely well.
“If anything, I think he feeds off it. His statistics speak for themselves and we’ll see the best of Steve Smith again this week,” Paine said ahead of Friday’s Test match.
Currently, the series is levelled with 1-1 and the fourth Test match, which is scheduled to begin on January 15, will decide the winner or fate of this thrilling series.