Published 17:59 IST, January 18th 2021
Steve Smith confident of Australia winning Border-Gavaskar trophy on final day of 4th Test
Steve Smith has exuded confidence saying that Australia will play good cricket on Day 5 of the Brisbane Test and try to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
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Australia's batting mainstay Steve Smith has said that the hosts are nicely placed in the ongoing fourth Test match against India and stressed that they are pumped up to regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy. The series is currently tied at 1-1.
'The boys are excited': Steve Smith
"We are certainly not weathermen and do not know if it (rain) is coming. So, you have to play the game as you, sort of, see it. I think the game is in a nice place for us. The wicket started to play a few tricks today. Tomorrow it will be about bowling good areas, letting the natural variations of day 5 wicket do its work, and hopefully, we can hold onto all the chances," Smith said after the end of day's play.
"For us, it is just about being patient and not searching too much as the more you go for searching on these kinds of tracks, you probably do not get the rewards. It is just about hitting good areas consistently and letting the natural variation of the wicket take its course," he said.
"It is going to be an interestingly final day. The boys are excited about tomorrow and pumped to try and regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy," the former Australian skipper further added.
The winner takes it all at the Gabba
Chasing a stiff target of 328 runs, India finished Day 4 at 4/0 and they will have their task cut out on the final day (Tuesday) to survive the remaining three sessions against a formidable Australian bowling line-up.
The Tim Paine-led side must win the series-decider in order to seal the series. If the final Test match ends in a stalemate, then not only will the four-match series be tied at 1-1, but India will also end up retaining the iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The visitors are the current holders of the prestigious trophy after having won the previous edition of the four-match Test series 2-1 in the 2018-19 season. It was also Team India's first-ever Test series win on Australian soil.
If Paine & Co. succeed in coming out on top at the Gabba, then the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will change hands for the first time after the 2016/17 season.
(With ANI Inputs)
17:59 IST, January 18th 2021