Danish Kaneria praised Steve Smith and his captaincy during India vs Australia’s third Test in Indore, where the visitors won by nine wickets. Kaneria credited Smith’s clear plans and proactive approach in making bowling changes, contributing to their victory. This has sparked debate on whether Pat Cummins will retain the full-time Test captaincy upon his return to the team.
Danish Kaneria shared his thoughts on the possibility of Steve Smith being reinstated as Australia’s Test captain in a video on his YouTube channel. He said:
“Steve Smith led his team brilliantly and marshaled his troops very well. He has had to stay away from the captaincy for a long time because of the Sandpapergate. But I feel you will see more and more of Steve Smith, the captain of the Tests, in the future. Bringing him back as a permanent captain won’t be wrong.”
Danish Kaneria also commented on the aggressive field placements used by Steve Smith to unsettle the Indian batsmen during the third Test. Kaneria noted that Smith had set attacking fields throughout the match, with only one fielder patrolling the boundary for the big shot. This strategy challenged the Indian batters and clarified that the fielders were positioned to cut off any shots they attempted.
Former Cricketer Danish Kaneria Expresses Disappointment in Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.
Danish Kaneria criticized Rohit Sharma for not setting more aggressive fields while defending a modest target of 76 runs in the third Test against Australia. Kaneria felt that Sharma should have placed more close-in fielders to make the chase more challenging for the visitors. Despite the early wicket of Usman Khawaja, Kaneria believed there needed to be more attacking fielders, and India missed an opportunity to make the chase difficult for Australia. Kaneria expressed disappointment that India did not believe in itself and failed to give itself a chance by keeping attacking fields. India must win the fourth Test in Ahmedabad to secure a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.