Australia: "Back where he belongs" - Fans react as Steve Smith is named Australia's captain for pink-ball Test vs West Indies

Steve Smith is set to lead Australia in their upcoming second and final Test of their series against the West Indies, as regular skipper Pat Cummins has been ruled out due to a quadricep strain.

Smith has captained Australia in 35 Test matches in his career, winning 19 of them. The right-handed batter's tenure as the full-time skipper ended abruptly in 2018 due to a ball-tampering scandal in the Cape Town Test against South Africa.

In the aftermath of the ball-tampering controversy, Cricket Australia (CA) banned Smith for 12 months along with senior opener David Warner, while Cameron Bancroft was handed a nine-month ban.

It is worth mentioning that Smith was also banned from leading Australia for two years. The 33-year-old's captaincy ban expired in March 2020, and he was appointed as the vice-captain of the Test side last year.

Furthermore, he led the Aussies after a gap of three years when he was named as the stand-in captain for the team's second Ashes Test in December 2021 after Cummins was unavailable for selection due to a COVID-19 scare

A number of fans took to social media to react to the news of Smith leading the Aussies for the pink-ball Test against the West Indies. While some fans shared their excitement, certain supporters slammed the board for the move.

Notably, Cummins injured his right quadricep during the Test series opener and did not bowl a single over during the second innings. Right-arm pacer Scott Boland will replace the star fast bowler in the team for the second and final fixture.

Steve Smith starred with the bat for Australia in the first Test vs West Indies

Australia and West Indies squared off in the opening encounter of their Test series at the Perth Stadium. The Pat Cummins-led side dominated the visitors, finishing on 598/4 in the first essay thanks to double centuries from Marnus Labuschagne (204) and Steve Smith (200*).

Labuschagne continued his stellar form in the second innings as well, remaining unbeaten at 104. The hosts ultimately completed a comprehensive 164-run victory over the West Indies to go 1-0 up.

The second Test between Australia and the West Indies will be a day-night affair. The crucial encounter gets underway on Thursday, December 7, at the Adelaide Oval.

Australia squad: Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Michael Neser, Steve Smith (c), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

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