Steve Smith is poised to reclaim the reins of Australia’s Test cricket team. No, we are not talking about the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT)! Smith is expected to take the reins as Australia gear up for a two-match series against Sri Lanka. With regular skipper Pat Cummins prioritising family commitments—his wife Becky Boston is expecting their second child—Smith will step in to lead the side once again, starting January 29. The series will hold massive importance as far as the World Test Championship (WTC) Final is concerned.
Return of Steve Smith as captain!
This marks an eye-catching chapter in Smith’s career, nearly seven years after he relinquished the captaincy in the wake of the infamous ball-tampering scandal of 2018. Since then, Smith has steadily rebuilt his legacy, becoming Cummins’ deputy during the 2021-22 Ashes and stepping in as captain on four occasions. Most notably, he guided Australia to a historic Test win in Indore, their first since 2017.
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Smith to break massive Test records
Smith’s resurgence isn’t limited to leadership. His bat has been blazing, breaking a 23-innings century drought with a sublime 101 against India at the Gabba. He followed that up with a commanding 140 in Melbourne, bringing him within 38 runs of becoming the fourth Australian to score 10,000 Test runs. Adding to his milestones, Smith needs just four catches to equal Ricky Ponting’s record of 196—the most by an Australian fielder.
Steve Smith record as captain in Tests
| Mat | Won | Lost | Draw | W/L | %W | %L |
| 38 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 2.1 | 55.26 | 26.31 |
Steve Smith’s batting record as captain
| Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | |
| Overall | 113 | 202 | 9962 | 239 | 56.28 | 53.54 | 34 | 41 | 1090 | 57 |
| As Captain | 38 | 67 | 3867 | 239 | 66.67 | 55.43 | 15 | 14 | 416 | 16 |
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India squad for Sri Lanka Tests to be picked this week: Bumrah, Jadeja to return, Washington Sundar doubtful
