Steve Smith backs Kohli's decision to go on paternity leave: 'He is also human being'

Australian batting sensation Steve Smith has backed his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli's decision of going on paternity leave after the conclusion of the first Test match that will be played under lights at the Adelaide Oval on December 17. 

Virat will be making a solitary Test appearance in the pink-ball Test match after which he will be returning back to India to be with his better half Anushka Sharma as the couple is expecting their first child in January. The Indian skipper has been granted paternity leave by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). 

'Credit to him'

"No doubt it is a big loss for India. We know Virat is a world-class player and you got to give him credit for how much he loved playing down here. He is also a human being and has got a life outside of cricket and a family that is starting," Smith told reporters in an online media interaction from Adelaide.

"Credit to him for wanting to be there for the birth of his first child. We know how much he loves playing in Australia and how good he is. Lots of credit to go to him for wanting to be there," the former Aussie skipper added.

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Virat Kohli looks to sign off on a high

The 'Captain Fearless' who has not hit a single century in 2020 will be hoping to make amends in the D/N Test and sign off on a high by breaching the three-figure mark this time around. 

Coming back to the longest format, Steven Smith takes the 'Numero Uno' spot with 911 points whereas Kohli is tied with New Zealand captain Kane Williamson with 886 points. The Indian captain will not be able to dethrone Smith from the ICC Test Rankings for batsmen in this series as the elegant Australian number three batsman is available for all four Tests, unlike VK. 

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen whether the 32-year-old can give the New South Wales cricketer a run for his money in two innings before he heads back to India. 

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