Steve Smith is set to open for the first time in his Test career, confirmed Australian men’s Chairman of selectors George Bailey, in the upcoming home Test series against the West Indies.
No sooner had David Warner’s farewell Test match, in Sydney against Pakistan, had concluded than Steve Smith put his name in the hat among contenders to replace Warner at the top of the order. With Smith going up, the Aussie selectors and management could get in Cameron Green in the side at number.
Renshaw and Bancroft had made strong cases in domestic red-ball cricket, but Bailey asserted that he has picked the “best six batters” in Australia for the Test team. This is a new chapter in Steve Smith’s career. But barely anyone has any apprehension that he wouldn’t be able to crack the new role.
3 reasons why Steve Smith is bound to succeed as Australia’s Test opener:
Steve Smith is a problem solver
Smith seems to be bugged by his performances in the past year in Test cricket. Even though he slammed a century in the WTC Final 2023 against India, it hasn’t been his best phase, of course comparing to his own lofty standards. Since February 2023, he averages 39, which is good considering the pitches he played on in India and England, but he seems to be disappointed with himself, especially with low scores during the Pakistan series.
The reputation of Smith is of being a problem solver, be it any format and any position he’s batting in. He’s the guy who started out as a leg-spinner batting at number 8 and went on to become Australia’s great batsman since Don Bradman; the same guy who tweaked his technique and stance in the middle of a Test match – in Perth in 2014/15 Ashes – something which batters need months to get adjust to.
Smith sees something is not clicking right for him at number 4, and now is wanting to take a new challenge – of facing the new, swinging ball, rather than coming in at number 4 when the new ball is blunt out by the top three – and among the masses it feels he will certainly succeed.
Smith will enjoy batting with the field not spread out
One thing which has been observed with Smith is that he could be kept quiet with good field placements. Whether it was the legside theory from India or the umbrella field from Shan Masood, Smith got out trying to take them on.
But, with the new ball, most fielders are likely to be placed in the cordon on the offside. This would give Smith ample of space on the field to nudge it around and get his motor running with singles, twos and threes. And once he is set, as eveeryone knows, there is no better batter than him to bat for long hours and hurt the opposition.
Smith was “pretty keen” to open; ready to selflessly move to accomodate Cam Green in the side
When a batter like Smith, who averaged between 55 to 68 batting at number 3, 4, and 5, says he is “pretty keen” to open and make a significant change in his Test career, he is determined to have success there.
Just after his new spot as an opener was confirmed, a stat made round on Twitter, reflecting that he, in fact, does well when he comes in to bat early in the innings.
Reporter Daany Saeed tweeted: “Steve Smith averages 106.20 in Test cricket when his innings starts in the first two overs, and 69.58 in the first ten.”
Gentle reminder that Steve Smith averages 106.20 in Test cricket when his innings starts in the first two overs, and 69.58 in the first ten.
— Daany Saeed (@daanysaeed) January 9, 2024
One thing this tells is that Smith absolutelly hates waiting in the dressing room for his batting to number at number 4. Nobody perhaps is as obsssed with batting in this world than Smith, something which his teammates would testify to. It is looking incredibly easy to predict that Smith will have a bumper time batting at the top.
Bailey was also in praise for Smith for “selflessly” moving his own position so that Australia can accomodate Cameron Green in the side.
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