NEW DELHI: Steve Smith missed the 10,000 Test-run milestone by just one run, but Australia defeated India 3-1 in the recent five-match series to finally win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after four attempts.
Even while it was a “cool win” for the series, he admitted it hurt to have missed a personal milestone by only one run.
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“It was a cool summer to be a part of… and particularly after the way we fought back from Perth (defeat). Just as a collective, it was a really cool win. Our bowlers were unbelievable. Scotty Boland, the way he came in, was exceptional. He’s unbelievable at the moment,” Smith told Sydney Morning Herald.
Smith was left stranded at 9,999 runs in the fifth Test at Sydney after being dismissed by Prasidh Krishna in both innings.
“One run… it hurt a little bit at the time. It would have been nice to have ticked that off in front of all my friends and family here at my home ground, but hopefully, I can knock it off first thing in Galle (Sri Lanka, first Test).
“I probably let it wander (in my mind) too much throughout the game. It’s a cool milestone to tick off,” he added.
Despite his role in the ‘sandpapergate’ incident, Smith, the captain of Australia for the Sri Lankan Test series, says he is “comfortable” in his own world and is not overly disturbed by people’s opinions.
After regular captain Pat Cummins was rested after the Border-Gavaskar Tests, Smith, who was captain of Australia when the ball-tampering scandal erupted in the 2018 Cape Town Test against South Africa, will lead a 16-man squad to the subcontinent for the two-Test series starting January 29.
In 2018, Cameron Bancroft, David Warner, and the dynamic top-order batsman were all banned for different lengths of time after being found guilty of ball-tampering. Smith’s involvement in the affair also resulted in a two-year leadership ban.
Since then, he has led Australia in four Test matches: two away Test matches against India in 2023, a match against England in Adelaide in 2021, and a match against the West Indies in Perth in 2022.
Even though Cricket Australia considers the issue resolved, some people continue to believe Smith shouldn’t be permitted to captain the nation’s squad.
“I mean, everyone’s entitled to their opinion,” Smith said.
“They can say whatever they like. I’m pretty comfortable in my own skin. (The environment) around the team has been good for a long time. I get on well with everyone inside. People are entitled to their opinion. They can say what they want,” he added.
