Records Don and dusted

DARREN Lehmann has made the bold declaration that his “Bradman- like” skipper Steve Smith can surpass the records of Australia’s great captains.

Smith blasted 499 runs and three centuries in India, but it was the growth in the 27- year- old’s leadership that most impressed the coach.

Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Allan Border and Mark Taylor stand tall as four of cricket’s bastions of captaincy and success.

Lehmann says Smith is nothing like any of them, but believes a devout dedication to developing his own unique style has him well on the path to eclipsing the game’s biggest and most respected names. With an astounding 20 centuries from 54 Tests and a 61run average that’s the best since Bradman, Smith is already raking in the likes of Ponting and Waugh as Australia’s greatest modernday batsman at a rate of knots.

Doubts have been raised in the past about Smith’s presence and tactics as a captain but, according to Lehmann, it was the skipper’s leadership that almost clinched rare gold in India for a team that only eight Tests ago was nowhere.

“He’s been brilliant,” Lehmann said. “He’s been unbelievable. He’s been Bradman- like with the bat, but all the stuff behind the scenes has been exceptional. I’m really pleased for him with what he’s brought to the team as a leader.

“He’s led from the front as captain. Three hundreds in four Test matches is pretty special.

“He loves the game. He’s passionate about the game and he loves his players. He’s a different leader to Michael ( Clarke), to Ricky, to Mark Taylor, to Steve Waugh, and he’s working out his own identity as a captain. But I’ve been so proud of him.”

Waugh’s winning percentage as captain of 71.92 per cent is in a league of its own. Ponting is second on the list with a win percentage of 62.33.

From Smith’s 24 matches he has 12 wins for a percentage of 40.02, but no captain in Australian his- tory has had to deal with the amount of personnel change in such a short period.

With the groundwork firmly set during this series in India, Smith now has a young team at his disposal that he can mould into a powerhouse.

Lehmann admits he’s coached much more attacking teams, but he says the style Smith has adopted is right for this emerging group of new- age stars.

“We have decided we are going a different way about the way we play,” Lehmann said.

“We’re less aggressive than we have been. And I’m pleased for them the way they have gone about it.

“The young group will grow. They will get better.

“We’ve just got to keep learning.

“We weren’t good enough in this series, there is no doubt about that. We missed big opportunities to win the series.

“But … this is a group that can play a long time together.”

Lehmann says he’s also had to adapt as coach from the man who oversaw Australia’s 5- 0 destruction of England in the 2013- 14 summer.

“You have to change as a coach, change as a captain, and as players,” Lehmann said.

“The way they have gone about it and the way they want to play, on and off the field, has been exceptional.”