First, the International Cricket Council said it. Then, the Board of Control for Cricket in India and Cricket Australia put out a joint statement. Everyone wants to move on. But who will tell the two protagonists at the centre of the battle?

An hour after Virat Kohli on Wednesday said that he had no “regret” the comments he made after the Bengaluru Test, almost accusing his counterpart Steve Smith of cheating, the Australian captain hit right back saying the Indian captain was “completely wrong”.

In a press conference in Ranchi on Wednesday, one day before the Test, Smith first clarified on his supposed “brain-fade” in the second innings where he looked up at the dressing room to get an indication of whether to review his leg-before-wicket call. “I think that obviously I made a mistake and I came out and said that. What I did was wrong and I know that,” said the Aussie skipper.

But he was in no mood to sit back and let Kohli’s comments pass. “But that was the first time it has happened. I know as a team we don’t do that. And I think his comments... I think he said that we did it twice while he was out there. I don’t think he was out there long enough for two appeals,” said Smith. “He’s entitled to his opinion, but from my point of view he’s completely wrong.”

Smith continued, “Virat obviously stuck by his comments. From my point of view I think they’re completely wrong. I came out after the game and said I made a mistake. It was an error on my behalf, I had a brain fade. In regards to saying that we do it consistently, that’s complete rubbish in my opinion. I think he was wrong in his statement.”

The joint statement put out by the BCCI and the CA had stated that the two captains would meet each other before the Ranchi Test. But as far as Smith is concerned, he said he would take the opportunity to clear the air with Kohli.

“Might ask a few questions,” said Smith, referring to the proposed meeting. “We’ll see what the mood’s like at the time.”

The other big question around the press conference revolved around Australia’s team composition and the nature of the Ranchi surface. Both are connected; how the pitch will play out will play a role in whether Smith chooses to go in with Glenn Maxwell, an off-spinning all-rounder or Marcus Stoinis, a fast-bowling all-rounder who has been flown in to replace the injured Mitchell Marsh. The other question is whether the injured Mitchell Starc will be replaced by Jackson Bird or the highly-regarded but injury-prone Pat Cummins.

Despite getting a look at the surface, Smith still appears unsure of what to expect and hence, probably, in a departure from Australia’s normal procedure, declined to name their starting eleven for the match tomorrow.

“I’ve never seen a wicket that’s looked quite as dark as that one is,” said the Australian captain. “It looks like there’s mud sort of rolled together. It looks a bit different but having said that both teams have to play on it.”

He, though, preferred to remain tight-lipped about the composition of his squad.

“We’re going to have a look at the wicket today, see if there’s any changes there,” said the captain. “We’ll look at whether we need a bit more pace or another spinning option.”

As for Pat Cummins, the highly-regarded Australian pacer who has been talked up by former Australian cricketers such as Craig McDermott and Jason Gillespie, Smith didn’t provide a definitive answer. But it seems likely he’ll make the cut for the Ranchi Test considering the captain’s confidence in him.

“I think [Cummins] has got some good variations,” mentioned Smith. “Watching him bowl yesterday he bowled these cutters on the wicket and they were actually ragging.”

Yet, more than the pitch and the team, the biggest question before the all-important third Test is this: What will Steve Smith and Virat Kohli say to each other when they meet?

It really feels like a final before the final.