S Poddar
Australia star batsman Steven Smith will return to his preferred position in the middle order for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. After a short stint as a Test opener that did not quite pay off, he will revert back as a middle order player.
Australian selectors, which had already been assembled by George Bailey, verified that Smith had actually requested to be dropped before the fateful injury to Cameron Green. A mutual decision was made between Smith, captain Pat Cummins, and coach Andrew McDonald to drop him from the team.
Smith’s willingness to bat one down earlier this season paved the way for Green to slot into the all-important No. 4 position, but the loss to Green through injury has thrown Australian back up the order into disarray.
Bailey said, “Pat, Andrew, and Steven had been talking about this change a while before Cameron’s injury. Steve wanted to go back into the middle order, and we’ve decided to let him do that.”
Baileys was tight-lipped over a bat position for Smith, but it’s highly likely that he will come in at No. 4 when the game starts. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series begins on November 22 in Perth.
Selectors have an arduous task of their hands looking to find the replacement for Green at the top of the order. Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and young sensation Sam Konstas may vie for the opening slot.
According to Bailey, there should be a specialist opener in the team to complement with Usman Khawaja. He further reminded that it is not easy to get a batsman who can contribute both with bat and ball: not just because of Green’s unavailability but also because of the uncertainty surrounding Mitchell Marsh’s bowling ability.
Bailey, however, referred to how Australia has played Test matches in the past without an all-rounder in the top six: he is satisfied enough that his side will manage to compensate and find ways around the problem.
As the count continues to head downhill with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, everyone is watching Australia’s home-based cricketers to see who will become the prime contender for the hot opening slot.
