SYDNEY: Australia batsman Steve Smith on Monday said he is looking forward to playing the final Test of the series at The Gabba. Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari batted out 258 balls to help India walk away with an epic draw at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and Smith said it was time to look at Brisbane as the team has a good record there.
"(We'll) move on now to Brisbane, we have a very good record there. Looking forward to playing there in a few days' time. Wanted to be a little bit more aggressive at times, went up and down through the gears throughout my innings, absorbed the pressure when needed to. Not too much else, just watched the ball hard and concentrated well. Nice to spend some time," he told the host broadcasters after the match.
Batting out 131 overs -- the most India have batted in the fourth innings of a Test since 1980 -- showed exactly what Ashwin meant when he spoke about playing like true warriors at the end of the fourth day's play at the SCG. And Smith appreciated the effort of the Indian batsmen.
"India fought really hard. Our bowlers kept coming and coming, did their hardest today. On day three or four, we felt that a few kept low, few that bounced a bit more. But there was not much of it today. They fought really hard," Smith said.
The right-handed batsman was awarded Player of the Match after playing knocks of 131 and 81 in the Pink Test. He said it meant a lot to him to score a hundred for Australia.
"Always means a lot when you score a hundred for your country. To be able to do that here on my home ground is pretty special. Doesn't mean a lot now as we didn't win the game," he added.
A hamstring injury notwithstanding, Vihari hit an unbeaten 161-ball 23 while Ashwin hit 39 off 128 balls as the two defended away any hopes Australia had of registering a win. With an injured Ravindra Jadeja waiting in the pavilion, it was important for the two to ensure they saw India to the end and that is just what they did as the players shook hands with an over left.