Veteran Australia batter Steve Smith is poised to return to his preferred batting position at number four in the upcoming Test series against India, according to national selector George Bailey. This comes after a brief stint as an opener, which Smith had taken on following David Warner’s retirement earlier this year.
Although Steve Smith showed promise in his new role with an unbeaten 91 in his second Test, his subsequent performances against New Zealand were underwhelming, managing only 51 runs in four innings. According to George Bailey, Smith has since expressed his desire to return to the middle order to captain Pat Cummins and head coach Andrew McDonald, who have agreed to accommodate his request.
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Steve Smith to return to his preferred batting position
While George Bailey didn’t confirm the exact batting position, Steve Smith is likely to slot back into his familiar number four spot. The opportunity to return to his former position arose after Cameron Green, who had taken over at number four, underwent lower back surgery, ruling him out for six months. However, Bailey noted that the decision to shift Smith was already under consideration before Green’s injury.
“Pat (Cummins), Andrew (McDonald)and Steve Smith had been having ongoing conversations, separate to the untimely injury to Cameron (Green),” Bailey was quoted as saying by ‘cricket.com.au’.
“Steve had expressed a desire to move back down from that opening position, and Pat and Andrew have confirmed that he will be dropping back down the order for the summer,” Bailey added.
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This development marks a significant change in Australia’s batting lineup, and Steve Smith’s return to his favored position could have a profound impact on the team’s performance in the upcoming Test series against India.
This development means Australia need to find a new opener. The selectors will follow the Australia ‘A’ series against India ‘A’ keenly, where contenders like Cameron Bancroft, teenage sensation Sam Konstas, and Marcus Harris will vie for the opportunity to open alongside Usman Khawaja in the five-match Test series against India.
(With PTI inputs)
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