The Border-Gavaskar series is turning out to be battle of young leaders. After India captain Virat Kohli, 26, was hailed for his brave and aggressive approach in the first Test at Adelaide, it is time for another Steven Smith, 25, to showcase his credentials as he has been named skipper of Australia and will replace injured Michael Clarke.
Smith becomes the youngest Oz captain after Kim Hughes, and the move has been made keeping the future in mind and that's why he was preferred over experienced Brad Haddin.
Smith is not new to captaincy. Last year he led New South Wales to the Sheffield Shield title before he guided Sydney Sixers to the crown in 2011-12 after captain Brad Haddin remained unavailable due to national committments.
In the IPL too, Indian cricket saw glimpses of his leadership for Pune Warriors in 2013 after Sourav Ganguly was ruled out in one of the games against Royal Challengers Bangalore, however, the match was lost, but Smith stood out as a leader.
Praveen Amre, who was the batting coach of the now disbanded team, said he was not surprised by Cricket Australia's decision.
"I remember when we had gone to Australia for an 'A' tour, Smith was a highly rated talent at that time. What we saw was admirable. He had the attitude, was fearless and very positive," said Amre.
Recollecting his experience with the Australian at the Pune Warriors camp, Amre said: "He was a typical Australian who loved challenges and has an aggressive mindset. On the ground, he would not go back without taking 100 catches and worked very hard with others," he added.
It was easy for the team management to pick Smith as his replacement for Ganguly. "He was shrewd like how Aussies generally are. He believed in setting example and was always positive. Even in meetings, he was not afraid of sharing his thoughts. So it was easy to choose Smith as Ganguly's replacement although it was just for one game," he said.
Amre said that with Adelaide match over, the series is going to be easier for Smith. "With 1-0 up, it will be easier for Smith as the rest of the matches will be played on true Australian wickets. . However, I hope he turns out to be a good leader," he added.
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