Australian captain Steven Smith apologises for emotional outburst during fourth Test

Steven Smith scored an impressive tally of 499 runs from four Test matches, besides spearheading his troops in a hard-fought series against India. However, Australian captain caught some flak during the third day of the Dharamsala Test for his emotional outburst directed at an Indian player.

The host broadcaster caught Smith yelling “f***ing cheat” after a catch taken by Murali Vijay was overturned during the evening session of Day 3. Vijay, stationed at first slip, claimed a catch of Josh Hazlewood before Australians had the decision overturned after using the review system.

It wasn't the first instance of Smith letting out his emotions during the heated series. During the second Test match at Bangalore, Smith admittedly had a "brain fade" while deciding whether to review his leg-before dismissal. Smith even pointed to teammates in the dressing room for potential assistance, causing a media uproar and a furious reaction from Virat Kohli, his Indian counterpart.

On Tuesday, for better or worse, Smith could breathe a sigh of relief after India completed an eight-wicket victory to win the Border-Gavaskar series by a 2-1 margin. “I’ve been very intense and in my own little bubble and at times I’ve let my emotions and actions just falter a little bit and I apologise for that throughout this series. That’s a big stride for me moving forward and something I can really learn from and grow as an individual and as a leader," said Smith, who was appointed as Test captain following Michael Clarke's retirement in the aftermath of Australia's 3-2 defeat in the 2015 Ashes series.

Australia's tour of India: Steven Smith proud of his young team

At the start of the series, Smith & Co. were expected to be steamrolled by the Indian spinners. However, the Aussies fought tooth-and-nail with the Indians and nearly pulled off a 2-0 lead at the end of the second Test in Bangalore. In contrast, the team that visited in 2013 barely put up a fight and were swept 4-0. "This team has grown so quickly. So I am proud of the way we have been able to turn things around and really compete in these conditions.

"Coming over here, we were written off. (People said) we were going to lose 4-0. But we competed (and it has) has been great to be part of a fantastic series played in a good style. Credit has to go to India for winning 2-1," said Smith, who scored three centuries during the four Test matches, via ESPNCricinfo.

Meanwhile, Smith expressed disappointment at the host broadcaster airing video footage of a verbal war between Matthew Wade and Ravindra Jadeja, stating that "what's said on the field should stay on the field" before applauding his opponents for a fair fight throughout the series. “I was a little bit disappointed that the BCCI sieved through the archives to find a conversation out on the field that was happening between Matty and Jadeja .

"I think it’s happened between both sides this series so the fact that they’ve done that to us is a little bit disappointing. Usually what’s said on the field should stay on the field. It’s been a hard-fought series and guys are going to say things here and there and their emotions are going to be high and so they should be in such a big series," added Smith during the post-series press conference.