Star Australian batsman Steve Smith believes India is one of the toughest places to play Test cricket and winning a five-day format series in the country is a major career goal for him.

“I think, as an Australian cricketer, we talk about like Ashes is always big, World Cup is big but now India is No. 1 team in the world and it is a very difficult place to play Test cricket, so I would love to win a series there,” Smith told New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi during a podcast organised by inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals.

Keen to get back

“It has been a pretty long year with the World Cup and Ashes, a few away one-day tours. So this rest is not the worst thing but hopefully it is for a few weeks. I am pretty keen to get back to playing.”

Smith is hoping the Indian Premier League will be held “at some stage” as sports events around the world remain on hold because of the coronavirus.

The cricket calendar has been hit hard by the deadly pandemic, including India’s lucrative and star-studded IPL T20 tournament, which was due to begin on March 29. Now it is unclear if the this year’s event will be played at all.

“Plenty going on in the world at present, but hopefully we can get an IPL at some stage,” said Smith.

“The two seasons that I captained the Royals were both half seasons. Shane Watson gave me the captaincy in 2015 and then last year out of the blue, I took over at the back end of the season,” he added.

“Looking at having a crack at it full time and the Royals have a pretty good squad,” he said.