Ranchi: Australia captain Steve Smith observed that the JSCA Stadium track did not offer any spin like the first two Test matches where the ICC rated the strips as “poor” and “below average” respectively. Asked about the pitch, centurion Smith said: “The ball didn’t spin here. In the first two Tests, the ball spun. The bounce was consistent and there wasn’t any ups and downs. We will need as many runs as we can get in the first innings.” He praised Maxwell who scored his maiden Test fifty.
“Obviously for 4 for 300, we had to form a couple of partnerships. Maxi played beautifully. Stuck to his plans. But tomorrow will be a crucial day,” he said. In the eye of storm post ‘DRS Brain Fade’, Smith said that he has moved on. “I came out and said I made a mistake and moved on from there.”
