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'If We Make A Shift With Him..,' Australia Coach Spills Tea On Steve Smith's Batting Position In India Tests

Australian batting order to undergo a change in India Tests [X]Australian batting order to undergo a change in India Tests [X]

Amid rumours of Travis Head potentially replacing Steve Smith as Australia's opener for the upcoming Test season gained momentum, head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed that his coaching staff is having that conversation, but a decision is yet to be made.

Steve Smith, traditionally a no.4 batter in Test format, was promoted to the top order following David Warner's retirement. However, the promotion backfired as Smith averaged 28.50 in the last four Test matches as an opener.

Moreover, with a high-stake Border Gavaskar Trophy on the cards, cricket journalist Robert Craddock reported that Travis Head is likely to open for Australia against India, with Steve Smith falling back to his old spot at no.4.

Will Steve Smith Open The Batting Vs India ?

Addressing the rumours, Australian head coach Andrew McDonald told SEN that team management has been discussing Smith's batting order for a while now. 

“That's the question on everyone's lips, isn't it? Whilst we've got an eye to it, we haven't made any firm decisions around that one. There’s plenty of speculation around that. But in the background, I'd be lying if I said the conversation wasn't happening," McDonald said.

However, a decision will only be made around the Sheffield Shield tournament if the veteran batter decides to play for New South Wales.

“We'll unveil everything, and we'll let (NSW coach) Greg Shipperd know what our plans are and then we'll see what he does with his New South Wales side should Steve Smith play Shield cricket.”

McDonald added that skipper Pat Cummins will have a major say in the decision, and even if Smith ends up losing his opening spot, he will definitely retain his place in the playing XI.

“Clearly, Patty Cummins as the captain is a big part of that. Clearly, if we make a shift with Steve Smith, then someone else will have to go to the top. We've seen Cameron Green be really successful at number four as well. So that sort of adds layers to the decision-making."

The Border Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia is set to commence on November 22 in Perth.

Ex-Australian Coach Calls For Smith's Retention At No.4

Former Australian coach Justin Langer responded to the debate around Steve Smith's ideal position in the batting order in red ball cricket. While Langer feels a great player like Smith can adapt to different slots, the latter is more suited for no.4

He has performed exceptionally well at that position and it's in Australia's best interest to let him drop down the order. Notably, at no.4, Smith has scored 5966 runs at an average of 61.51, including 22 centuries.