Star Australian batter and former captain Steve Smith will bat at the No. 4 position for the Baggy Greens in the five-match Test series against India. The 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) winners are all set to lock horns with India later this year in a much-anticipated Test series. The first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, season 2024-25, has been slated to take place in Perth on November 22, and the next four matches will follow in order – Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney respectively.
Chief selector of Australia, George Bailey revealed on Monday (October 14) that the news is true – Smith will no longer open the batting but will instead bat in the middle order for the side led by Pat Cummins. Smith has done opener duties for Australia in the last couple of Test series against the West Indies and New Zealand in the absence of David Warner but has not realized big runs.
Bailey also on Monday indicated that captain Pat Cummins and head coach Andrew McDonald had both come to the conclusion that 35 years old Smith would return to where he is naturally best suited at Number 4.
“Pat, as well as Andrew and Steve Smith, had been exchanging talks for some time, quite apart from the unfortunate injury to Cameron (Green),” Bailey was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“Steve had indicated a willingness to go back from that opening position and Pat and Andrew said that he will be going back up the order for the summer upon confirmation.”
Now, it will be fascinating to watch whom shall open for Australia along with Usman Khawaja in Smith’s absence. According to reports, Marcus Harris, Cameon Bancroft, and Sam Konstas are vying for a place in the Australian team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Thirty-two-aged Harris made his first appearance in international cricket against India in the 2018-19 Adelaide Test, last represented Australia in a first-class match in the 2021-22 Ashes series, while Bancroft has not played since he featured in a Test match against England at Lord’s in the summer of 2019.
19-year-olds batter Sam Konstas has put forth his claim for the vacant position after recording twin centuries against South Australia last week in the Sheffield Shield game. He is the youngest to hit twin tons in a Shield game since age 18, Ricky Ponting achieved it back in 1993.
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