Steven Smith was outstanding, and then some, in the first Test for Australia in Adelaide, and the exciting batsman will look to hone those willow skills and take it up a level as captain when the 2nd Test against India comes zooming along in Brisbane.
If the first Test is anything to go by, then this is going to be an outstanding series. Australia only just managed to walk away with a victory, after India imploded in the final session of the final day at the Adelaide Oval, going down by 48 runs despite a stunning effort from stand-in captain Virat Kohli.
Kohli will be able to free his mind completely and just concentrate on his batting now, with MS Dhoni returning to the side after recovering from a finger injury, and it will be interesting to see if the MS Dhoni "innovative ODI captain" steps up to the plate, or if the MS Dhoni "thinks too safe in Test matches" skipper remains.
"He has been fantastic, not only as a captain but also as a leader, even in the ODIs that he has led in," said Dhoni when asked about Kohli's captaincy, probably hoping that will inspire him to take a little more chances as well. "He is an aggressive character and is slightly different to what I am.
"What he did throughout the Test was great and especially his approach towards his own batting was fantastic. He had a lean series in England and it was good to see the way he prepared for this series and then the way he went out there and batted.
"He kept mixing it up. He wasn't attacking over the top. He gave in-and-out field to Karn [Sharma] at times and when he felt he could put the pressure on the batsmen, he brought in the fielders close. That is how cricket is played now you have to see the momentum and decide when to attack or back off slightly. He did fantastically well in that regards."
What Australia did fantastically well was put runs, runs and more runs on the board on a flat pitch in Adelaide, while taking advantage of batting first and third in the match, before ensuring they take full advantage of the pressure that is created in the final innings on the team wielding the willow.
Nathan Lyon, of course, was the star with the ball, but things might have been completely different had Kohli and Murali Vijay continued with that partnership a little longer.
This Test match at the Gabba, however, is expected to be completely different. The wicket won't be so flat or slow as the one in Adelaide, with plenty of grass on the strip. Indeed, it looks like the Brisbane pitch will be very much like the one against England last year, when Mitchell Johnson used full use of the pace and bounce to thump England.
The visitors only managed scores of 136 and 179 in that Test match last year, and India will need to do a lot, lot better to stand a chance of levelling the series.
A little more help for Kohli, in terms of the big innings, will certainly help in that matter, while India will also look to put Smith and his captaincy skills under pressure early on, even if Smith has time and again shown he is capable of handling any challenge thrown at him.
"When I'm just a player on the field I have my brain thinking as a captain all the time about the situation needs," Smith said after being appointed new Australia captain with Michael Clarke ruled out of the series with a hamstring injury. "Sometimes I throw thoughts over to Michael or Brad [Haddin]. I have had the leadership experience with New South Wales and the Sixers and been quite successful. It is a different kettle of fish with Australia but I'm looking forward to the challenge."
Kohli certainly showed he is capable of handling captaincy in his first Test match as skipper, and Smith is definitely capable of doing the same, and with Mitchell Johnson in his side on a fast and pacy Gabba pitch, a victory might just also come along with that.
Where to Watch Live
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The second Test between Australia and India at the Gabba is scheduled for a 10 am local time (11 am AEDT, 5.30 am IST, 12 am GMT, 7 pm ET) start with live coverage in India on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3 (Hindi) and Star Sports HD2. Audience in India can also watch the opening day of the second Test via live streaming online on Starsports.com.
Watch the match live on Channel 9 in Australia, while viewers in the country can also live stream the match on Cricket Australia Live or the Cricket Australia Live App.
Audience in the UK watch all the action on Day 1 live on Sky Sports 2, while the live streaming option is on Sky Go or Watch Sky Sports. The crucial opening day of the 2nd Test match can be watched by viewers in the USA on Willow TV or via a live stream on Willow TV Online. Viewers in the Middle East can watch the match on OSN or via live streaming online on OSN Play.
Team news: Australia: With Clarke out, Shaun Marsh will get an opportunity to make an impression the playing XI, joining his younger brother Mitchell, who had a good Adelaide Test. Two new bowlers will also come in, with Josh Hazlewood making his debut in place of an injured Ryan Harris, while Mitchell Starc also comes in for Peter Siddle.
India: Dhoni's return means a place on the bench for Wriddhiman Saha, who could have made himself a hero had he kept his head in the final innings in Adelaide. R Ashwin might hope for an inclusion in place of Karn, who did not exactly set Adelaide on fire with his performance on debut.
Expected lineups: Australia (confirmed): Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson, Steven Smith (capt), Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
India: Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni (capt), R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron.
