"Pat Cummins doesn't have enough captaincy experience, but Steve Smith has a lot of it" - Parthiv Patel lauds Australia's stand-in captain

Former keeper-batter Parthiv Patel reserved high praise for Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith after the side's impressive performance in the third Test against India in Indore.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Patel pointed out that while regular skipper Pat Cummins doesn't have enough experience of leading a side, Smith has captained the Australian team for a number of years in the past.

He noted that because of his experience, Smith was able to do a fantastic job in the Indore Test. Assessing Smith's captaincy, Patel said:

"Steve Smith's captaincy was on point today. He rotated his bowlers really well, while also making sure he used the right bowler from the right end. He also looked very confident while taking DRS calls. Pat Cummins doesn't have enough captaincy experience, but Smith has a lot of it."

Parthiv Patel also highlighted that Smith also used a loophole in cricketing rules to his advantage. He highlighted how the Australian keeper would dislodge the bails on most occasions after a batter was beaten.

The former cricketer mentioned that by asking the square-leg umpire to go upstairs to check the stumpings, Steve Smith and Co. were also able to see if the ball had taken the batter's edge, that too without using a review.

"There is a loophole in the rule," Patel added. "Steve Smith is aware of that and he exploited the loophole. The on-field umpire should avoid going to the third umpire if he is sure that it's not out when there is an appeal for a stumping.

"The ideal solution is that the TV umpire should only review the stumping if the appeal is made only for a stumping. A caught behind should not be checked unless the fielding captain opts for a review."

Notably, Australia used a similar strategy in the previous Test match in Dehli after they had lost all three reviews. Parthiv Patel emphasized that the third umpire should not check the ultra edge if the appeal was made for a stumping, otherwise, teams would continue exploiting the loophole.

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"Umpires have been quite ordinary in this Test" - Parthiv Patel on Nitin Menon and Joel Wilson

Parthiv Patel further stated that the umpiring hasn't been up to the mark in this Test match from on-field officials Nitin Menon and Joel Wilson.

He, however, defended the umpires by suggesting that it was very tough to officiate on such a pitch where there is a lot of turn along with an uneven bounce. Patel added that viewers tend to question the umpires' judgment because they have the option of viewing replays.

"It's very difficult for an umpire on such a pitch," he elaborated. "It is never easy to assess the bounce and turn as it is quite uneven. We have the luxury of replays, which is why we wonder, 'How did the umpire not spot such a big edge?'.

"However, it is very tough to take decisions on the field. I'd say that both the umpires have been quite ordinary in this Test. While Nitin Menon is a very good umpire, this match hasn't been a good one for both of the umpires.

Speaking of the game, India were bowled out for 163 in their second innings. Australia need 76 runs to win their first Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.