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Australia Test skipper Tim Paine on Thursday said that Steve Smith feeds off criticism and one can expect to see the batsman at his very best in the fourth and final Test against India.
Smith was seen scuffing up the area around the batting crease on day five of the third Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground and social media users questioned the Australia batsman for his gamesmanship. "Steve Smith is in a good frame of mind, we have seen what he has gone through in the last three years, he is mentally very strong and he knows that he will be criticised at some times. He has handled it very well ever since he has come back. If anything, he feeds off the criticism, his statistics speak for themselves, we will see the best of Steve Smith this week," said Paine while replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference. "Like I said, we set high expectations for ourselves, last week we did not meet them. When you do that, you leave yourselves open to criticism, we have to take it on the chin, we are now looking forward to the fourth Test, we cannot wait for tomorrow," he added. Smith, who recorded scores of 131 and 81 in the third Test against India at the SCG, after being criticised said that he was shocked and disappointed at the kind of reaction. "I have been quite shocked and disappointed by the reaction to this. It's something I do in games to visualise where we are bowling, how the batter is playing our bowlers and then out of habit I always mark centre," Smith told the Daily Telegraph, as reported by Fox Sports. India and Australia will now lock horns in the fourth and final Test at the Gabba, Brisbane, beginning January 15. The third Test between both these sides had ended as a draw. The 4th test of the Border Gavaskar trophy will be aired Live from January 15 only on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 3 (Hindi) and Sony Six. (ANI)
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