Steven Smith to captain Australia after Michael Clarke injury in Test series against India

Steven Smith(25) is to captain Australia in the absence of Michael Clarke after being promoted to the vice-captaincy by Cricket Australia.

Steven Smith will lead the side for the remainder of the Commonwealth Bank Test Series against India after Michael Clarke was ruled out with a hamstring injury suffered in the opening Test in Adelaide earlier this week, and his promotion could yet prove to be permanent, with Clarke himself suggesting that this latest in a long list of injury problems leaves his future in the game uncertain.

Steven Smith got the nod ahead of the current vice-captain Brad Haddin, who will serve as his deputy when the second Test begins in Brisbane on Wednesday Dec 17,2014
Steven Smith will become Australia's 45th and third youngest Test captain at the match against India in Brisbane on Wednesday. 

Steven Smith, who has captaincy experience with New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers, has emerged as a leading batsman in 23 Test appearances for Australia, having initially made the grade as a leg-spinner who could contribute with the bat.

He had unbeaten innings of 162 and 52 in the 48-run victory over India, lifting his Test average to 46.03.

About Steven Smith

• Born June 2, 1989 in Sydney

• began his career as a promising legspin bowler and middle order batsman but is now primarily a batsman

• made his debut for Australia aged 20 in a Twenty20 match against Pakistan on Feb. 2010, taking two wickets and scoring eight runs

• made his one-day international debut for Australia in Feb. 2010, against the West Indies, taking two wickets but did not bat.Has since played 45 ODIs, scoring 921 runs at an average of 31.75. He has scored two hundreds and three 50s. 

• picked for Australia's test team in mid 2010, aged 21, against Pakistan at Lord's and since has played 23 tests, scoring 1,749 runs at an average of 46.02 with five hundreds, nine half-centuries and a high score of 162 not out, against India at Adelaide Oval

• scored his first test century, an unbeaten 138, in the fifth Ashes test at The Oval last year, then two more in the 2013-14 Ashes series in Australia.
• was named in Dec. 2014 as Australia's 45th test captain, taking over from Michael Clarke after he injured his hamstring in the first test with India

Michael Clarke is unsure whether he will be able to play Test Cricket again after his latest injury

Michael Clarke's injuries in 2014
1 March: Sustains a fractured shoulder after being hit by South Africa bowler Morne Morkel while hitting 161 not out in the third Test in Cape Town
31 August: Suffers a recurrence of a left hamstring injury while batting against Zimbabwe and returns home from the one-day tri-series. The injury, initially triggered by the long-haul flight to Zimbabwe, rules him out of the one-day series against Pakistan in October, though he returns for the Tests
14 November: Injures the same hamstring in the first one-day international against South Africa in Perth
9 December: Retires hurt on 60 with a back injury before tea on the opening day of the first Test against India in Adelaide. He later returns to complete a century
13 December: Limps off the field on the final day of the first Test against India holding his right hamstring and will miss the rest of the series