Steve Smith reveals ‘angry’ reaction to woeful dismissal during Delhi collapse

Steve Smith admitted to being furious with himself after being sent off during Australia’s calamitous second-innings debacle against India, allowing the hosts to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four Test series after winning the second Test by six wickets in Delhi 10 days ago after Australia collapsed 1-61 to 113 in just 90 minutes.

The circumstances surrounding Australia’s implosion have been left under a microscope, with the visitors’ attempt to sweep the Indian spinners failing spectacularly as they lose 9-47.

Smith made just nine in the second innings before being caught under underweight by Ravi Ashwin as he became one of seven Australian batsmen to go out while playing a sweeping shot.

The firing method was all the more infuriating given that the former Australian captain rarely deploys the shot.

“I don’t think there have been too many times I’ve walked off the field and said, ‘What the hell am I doing?'” Smith told reporters in Indore on Tuesday.

I was pretty angry. There haven’t been many times in my career where I’ve really been blown away by what I’ve done. It was not my best moment.

The only player in the current side with a Test century to his name in India after making three tons in 2017, Ashwin fooled Smith for a second-ball duck on his first dig before sinking without a trace in the second innings.

And the 33-year-old recognized that he was still learning how to hit successfully on the subcontinent.

Smith is averaging 52.21, but is yet to turn a half-century on this tour and is averaging 23.66 at the halfway point in the series.

“Certainly something to learn from, I’m still learning too,” he said.

“It wasn’t the way I wanted to play, particularly when I had the field set up for all of us, they had the field out.”

Australia came under fire for retiring in their shell, having managed to lose all 10 wickets in a single session when they were beaten by an innings and 132 runs at Nagpur.

In the second Test, however, they suffered from the opposite problem. After resuming to 1-61 with a 62 lead, the tourists looked poised to set up an imposing goal on a deteriorating platform, before falling apart against Jadeja and Ashwin.

Allan Border and Matthew Hayden led a chorus of critics blasting Australia for their ‘frantic’ approach with Smith admitting the batsmen had misread the situation.

“We probably just rushed things a bit and it’s something we’ll talk about.” […] when we have them [India] against the ropes, we can slow things down,’ he said.

‘We don’t have to play at such a high pace and so risky.

‘Because we had them where we wanted them, we had men and the ability to get out of the strike. We just rush it.

Smith will captain Australia in the third Test in Indore on Wednesday in the absence of Pat Cummins.

It will be the third time he has stepped in as test captain since Cummins became skipper in November 2021.

Cummins was forced to sit out the two most recent pink ball matches in Adelaide against England and the West Indies due to Covid-19 and injury.

And Smith said he relished the prospect of acting as acting captain.

‘He [the captaincy] It usually brings out the best in me. I’m excited to lead this week in Pat’s absence,’ she said.

I know these conditions well. It’s like my second home to play here, I’ve played a lot in India, I understand the intricacies of the game and what wickets are likely to do. I’m looking forward to it.’