'Things change as time elapses': Aakash Chopra opens up on Steve Smith leading in 3rd Test

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has opened up on appointment of Steve Smith as the skipper of Australian team in 3rd Test match against India.  Australia batsman Steve Smith will lead the Australian cricket team in the third Test in the absence of Pat Cummins who has flown back home due to family reasons. Smith will be captaining Australia after a long time and former India opener and now a commentator Aakash Chopra feels it to be a huge development. 

Highlighting the significance of the development Aakash said on its YouTube channel, "Pat Cummins is not there, so Steve Smith is set to lead Australia. I mean, this is huge. He was obviously not there once in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy - Sandpapergate and all of that - but he is back again."

Steve Smith to lead Australia in the third Test

Aakash further added, "There was a time when Australia decided that he might not be seen captaining again. There was a time-period ban to start with and there was a life ban on David Warner."

"When the period was over, everyone believed that he would not be made the captain again, but things change as time elapses', Aakash said. 

Smith led Australia on their last India tour and played a match winning knock in Pune in the first Test. Recalling the innings Aakash added, "Steve Smith was the one when the Border-Gavaskar Trophy happened last time here. I remember the brain fade match in Bangalore and the Pune match where he defeated India single-handedly. Steve O'Keefe and Steve Smith laid heavy on us."

Australia won the Pune Test in 2017 by a margin of 333 runs with Steve O'Keefe picking up 12 wickets in the match and also Smith playing a 109 run knock in the second innings of the match. 

Talking about Australia's current situation in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy so they have till now not been able to counter the Indian spinners and also faced horrible batting collapse in the second innings of the second Test. 

Australia lost nine wickets within a session on day 3 of the second Test and Jadeja was a real trouble maker in the Australia innings and picked up seven Aussie wickets in the second innings. 

Team India won the match by a margin of six wickets and are 2-0 up in the series. Team India now will look to win the Indore Test and confirm their seat in the World Test Championship final that is scheduled to be played in the June month of this year.