Steve Smith, Australia's stand-in captain in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series, is looking forward to a new 'game of chess' as the visitors gear up for the fourth and final Test scheduled to be played in Ahmedabad from March 9.

"It's a game of chess, every ball means something," said Smith after the Indore victory, which followed India's wins in Nagpur and Delhi.

"It's good to just move people and try to make the batter do something different and just play&nbsp;games with them," Smith said after the Indore triumph.

"It's probably my favourite place in the world to captain."&nbsp;

Australia captain Pat Cummins has remained at home because of a family illness, leaving his deputy Smith with another chance to pit his wits against India in the subcontinent, something he clearly relishes.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-calling-this-tour-a-nightmare-for-the-batters-ponting-backs-virat-kohli-to-bounce-back-soon-569208">Calling this tour a nightmare for the batters, Ponting backs Virat Kohli to bounce back soon</a>

India, after losing the last Test by nine-wickets, will also be aiming to bounce back to tray and secure their berth in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, to be played in England in June. The hosts currently lead the four-match series 2-1 and a 3-1 series win will put them into the WTC final, again against Australia.

Australia clinched their place in the showpiece with their nine-wicket third Test win, completed before lunch on the third day on a treacherous Indore track.

India and Australia's prime ministers are scheduled to attend on Thursday where another sharply turning wicket is expected at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world's largest cricket ground with a capacity of 132,000.

Joe Root's England were thrashed there twice two years ago, including inside two days in a day-night game, the shortest completed Test since 1935.

<h2>'Too much' pitch talk</h2>

Despite the local Gujarat Cricket Association's assurances of a "normal pitch", both sides are again expected to pick three spinners, though India may opt for the wrist-spin of Kuldeep Yadav instead of Axar Patel, who has taken only one wicket in the series.

India may also strengthen their batting by dropping a seam bowler and bringing in the explosive Suryakumar Yadav.

Australia's spinners Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann took full advantage of an Indore pitch officially rated as "poor" by the match referee to give Australia only their second Test victory on Indian soil since 2004.

Kuhnemann took five wickets and Lyon three as India were rolled for 109 in their first innings after opting to bat.

Usman Khawaja's 60 in a 96-run stand with Marnus Lasuschagne helped Australia to an 88-run lead, despite a late collapse from 186-4 to 197 all out.

Lyon ripped through with 8-64 as India made 163 in their second innings, before Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne&nbsp;chased down the 76-run target with ease.

India captain Rohit Sharma said he was fed up with the constant focus on the playing surfaces and wanted to focus instead on some exceptional bowling performances.

"This pitch talk is getting too much," he said after the Indore Test. "Every time we play in India it's always about the pitch.

"Out of the 10 wickets maybe one or two where the pitch did help the bowler, but other than that it was the skill of the bowler that foxed the batsman".

(With inputs from agencies)

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Steve Smith, Australia's stand-in captain in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series, is looking forward to a new 'game of chess' as the visitors gear up for the fourth and final Test scheduled to be played in Ahmedabad from March 9.

Steve Smith, Australia's stand-in captain in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series, is looking forward to a new 'game of chess' as the visitors gear up for the fourth and final Test scheduled to be played in Ahmedabad from March 9. "It's a game of chess, every ball means something," said Smith after the Indore victory, which followed India's wins in Nagpur and Delhi. "It's good to just move people and try to make the batter do something different and just play games with them," Smith said after the Indore triumph. "It's probably my favourite place in the world to captain." Australia captain Pat Cummins has remained at home because of a family illness, leaving his deputy Smith with another chance to pit his wits against India in the subcontinent, something he clearly relishes. Also Read: Calling this tour a nightmare for the batters, Ponting backs Virat Kohli to bounce back soon India, after losing the last Test by nine-wickets, will also be aiming to bounce back to tray and secure their berth in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, to be played in England in June. The hosts currently lead the four-match series 2-1 and a 3-1 series win will put them into the WTC final, again against Australia. Australia clinched their place in the showpiece with their nine-wicket third Test win, completed before lunch on the third day on a treacherous Indore track. India and Australia's prime ministers are scheduled to attend on Thursday where another sharply turning wicket is expected at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world's largest cricket ground with a capacity of 132,000. Joe Root's England were thrashed there twice two years ago, including inside two days in a day-night game, the shortest completed Test since 1935. 'Too much' pitch talk Despite the local Gujarat Cricket Association's assurances of a "normal pitch", both sides are again expected to pick three spinners, though India may opt for the wrist-spin of Kuldeep Yadav instead of Axar Patel, who has taken only one wicket in the series. India may also strengthen their batting by dropping a seam bowler and bringing in the explosive Suryakumar Yadav. Australia's spinners Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann took full advantage of an Indore pitch officially rated as "poor" by the match referee to give Australia only their second Test victory on Indian soil since 2004. Kuhnemann took five wickets and Lyon three as India were rolled for 109 in their first innings after opting to bat. Usman Khawaja's 60 in a 96-run stand with Marnus Lasuschagne helped Australia to an 88-run lead, despite a late collapse from 186-4 to 197 all out. Lyon ripped through with 8-64 as India made 163 in their second innings, before Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne chased down the 76-run target with ease. India captain Rohit Sharma said he was fed up with the constant focus on the playing surfaces and wanted to focus instead on some exceptional bowling performances. "This pitch talk is getting too much," he said after the Indore Test. "Every time we play in India it's always about the pitch. "Out of the 10 wickets maybe one or two where the pitch did help the bowler, but other than that it was the skill of the bowler that foxed the batsman". (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India vs Australia: Stand-in captain Steve Smith looking forward to 'game of chess' in Ahmedabad

Australia skipper Pat Cummins brushed off concerns Thursday over David Warner's batting form and said he was certain the opener would play in this week's second Test against India.

The left-handed Warner scored one and 10 at Nagpur last week and has struggled for form since scoring 200 in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Melbourne.

"I'm not a selector. I don't think they've had a meeting but I'm sure Davey will be there," Cummins said of Warner's inclusion in the New Delhi Test, which starts Friday.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-2nd-test-live-streaming-watch-india-vs-australia-2nd-test-for-free-in-india-on-mobile-tv-562738">IND vs AUS 2nd Test live streaming: Watch India vs Australia 2nd Test for free in India on mobile &amp; TV</a>

"You saw this year at the Boxing Day Test when he puts pressure back on the opposition he's pretty hard to bowl to. You don't get as many good balls, so he knows that. I'm sure that'd be part of his plan," said Cummins.

"He has been batting really well here. Even in the lead-up I thought he was fantastic.&nbsp;

"I know there's a lot of talk about spin bowling through the middle, but with that new ball it's sometimes the hardest time to bat as well."

Read More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/viral-prithvi-shaw-faces-nightmare-experience-with-a-fan-attacked-for-denying-selfie-watch-562723">VIRAL: Prithvi Shaw faces nightmare experience with a fan, attacked for denying selfie - Watch</a>

Australia were bowled out for 91 in one session in the first Test of the four-match series in Nagpur to lose by an innings and 132 runs inside three days.

Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith showed some fight in an otherwise dismal batting display, but Cummins remained hopeful of a turnaround on another spin-friendly pitch.

"I think the planning has been really good and now it's about going out there and doing it and at times that might be being brave enough to take a calculated risk," Cummins said of his batsmen's plans.

"They've been really good, they're all really strong in their plans, trained really well, so we will see how we go."

<h2>'Show how good you are'</h2>

Australia are expected to make changes from the Nagpur drubbing, with spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, returning fast bowler Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Cameron Green fighting for a place in the side.

"Having a right-hander helps and (Green) providing our fifth bowling option also helps, he's a big player," Cummins said.

"He's still coming back from that injury, he's only had a couple of sessions where he's catching with a hard ball. We will see how he pulls up."

Cummins called Starc the "world's premier" bowler in these conditions, but said all options were open going into the Test.

Spinner Todd Murphy had debut figures of 7-124 in Nagpur and Cummins again challenged his spinners to make best of the conditions.

"Even the last game we saw a lot of around-the-wicket bowling where in Australia it's mainly over the wicket bowling," said Cummins.

"It's a bit of an adjustment, but in some ways it doesn't get any better. You have a wicket there that's spinning, you can show how good you are."

&nbsp;

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Australia skipper Pat Cummins brushed off concerns Thursday over David Warner's batting form and said he was certain the opener would play in this week's second Test against India.

Australia skipper Pat Cummins brushed off concerns Thursday over David Warner's batting form and said he was certain the opener would play in this week's second Test against India. The left-handed Warner scored one and 10 at Nagpur last week and has struggled for form since scoring 200 in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Melbourne. "I'm not a selector. I don't think they've had a meeting but I'm sure Davey will be there," Cummins said of Warner's inclusion in the New Delhi Test, which starts Friday. Also Read: IND vs AUS 2nd Test live streaming: Watch India vs Australia 2nd Test for free in India on mobile & TV "You saw this year at the Boxing Day Test when he puts pressure back on the opposition he's pretty hard to bowl to. You don't get as many good balls, so he knows that. I'm sure that'd be part of his plan," said Cummins. "He has been batting really well here. Even in the lead-up I thought he was fantastic. "I know there's a lot of talk about spin bowling through the middle, but with that new ball it's sometimes the hardest time to bat as well." Read More: VIRAL: Prithvi Shaw faces nightmare experience with a fan, attacked for denying selfie - Watch Australia were bowled out for 91 in one session in the first Test of the four-match series in Nagpur to lose by an innings and 132 runs inside three days. Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith showed some fight in an otherwise dismal batting display, but Cummins remained hopeful of a turnaround on another spin-friendly pitch. "I think the planning has been really good and now it's about going out there and doing it and at times that might be being brave enough to take a calculated risk," Cummins said of his batsmen's plans. "They've been really good, they're all really strong in their plans, trained really well, so we will see how we go." 'Show how good you are' Australia are expected to make changes from the Nagpur drubbing, with spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, returning fast bowler Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Cameron Green fighting for a place in the side. "Having a right-hander helps and (Green) providing our fifth bowling option also helps, he's a big player," Cummins said. "He's still coming back from that injury, he's only had a couple of sessions where he's catching with a hard ball. We will see how he pulls up." Cummins called Starc the "world's premier" bowler in these conditions, but said all options were open going into the Test. Spinner Todd Murphy had debut figures of 7-124 in Nagpur and Cummins again challenged his spinners to make best of the conditions. "Even the last game we saw a lot of around-the-wicket bowling where in Australia it's mainly over the wicket bowling," said Cummins. "It's a bit of an adjustment, but in some ways it doesn't get any better. You have a wicket there that's spinning, you can show how good you are." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India vs Australia, 2nd Test: Skipper Cummins backs struggling Warner to come through in Delhi

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India vs Australia: Stand-in captain Steve Smith looking forward to 'game of chess' in Ahmedabad

India vs Australia, 2nd Test: Skipper Cummins backs struggling Warner to come through in Delhi