Steve Smith, who captains Australia across all the three formats of the game, had a tough time in India after he was accused of cheating by Indian skipper Virat Kohli during the four-match Test series earlier this year. Following the Test series, he replaced Indian legend MS Dhoni as the captain of Rising Pune Supergiant which created even more controversy for the Aussie but his performances with the bat, for both franchise and country, have won the Indian fans over. Recently, he took a break from cricket and talked about his experience in India.

“We come so often, it has almost become my home away from home. I even have favorite restaurants. The food’s a bit spicy for me, but I can certainly make out the difference between North Indian cuisine and a South Indian preparation. Outside, the temperature takes a toll on you, but the warmth of the people makes up for that,” he said.

“I honestly didn’t know what to expect. But the passion people have for the game of cricket makes it so enjoyable for a professional cricketer to be here. If asked to pick one thing I love about Indians, it’d have to be their enthusiasm for everything: cricket, movies, and life in general. If I have friends visiting, I’d like to take them to a cricket match…you can’t see India through my eyes without experiencing the crowds and noise at a game,” he added.

Smith was one of the 22 players who were lucky enough to play the first ever Test match at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Even though the Aussie was blown away with the view that the stadium had on offer, he went on to pick Pune as his favorite venue in Indi.