Australia abandon Smith experiment ahead of marquee India series

Steve Smith is set to return to the middle-order for Australia’s blockbuster five-match Test series against India following a short-lived and ultimately unsuccessful trial as opener.
The retirement of David Warner at the beginning of the year left a vacancy to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order and Smith obliged, with his usual position of number four going to Cameron Green.
While Smith carried his bat for 91 not out in the shock defeat by the West Indies in Brisbane in January, he failed to reach 32 in his other seven innings and was out for 15 or under on five occasions.
An average of 28.5 compares unfavourably with a career 56.97 and, having struggled with the moving ball, Smith, widely viewed as Australia’s best batter, has elected to shuffle back down the order.
The switch has been in the pipeline for a while but the selectors have more room for manoeuvre ahead the first Test, starting in Perth on 22 November, by Cameron Green’s season-ending back injury.
Selector George Bailey told reporters: “(Captain) Pat (Cummins), (coach) Andrew (McDonald) and Steven Smith had been having ongoing conversations separate to the untimely injury to Cameron.
“And I think Steve had expressed a desire to move back down from that opening position. Pat and Andrew have confirmed that he will be dropping back down the order for the summer.”
All eyes are on who fills the spot left empty by Smith, upping the significance of Australia A’s two first-class matches against India A before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy gets under way.
The previously tried duo of Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris have been named in Australia A’s squad, as has uncapped 19-year-old Sam Konstas, who made twin hundreds in the Sheffield Shield last week.
Meanwhile, Cummins will captain Australia’s ODI side for the first time since leading them to World Cup glory last November after being named in a 14-strong squad for a three-match series against Pakistan.
Cummins was rested for the recent 3-2 victory in England but comes back for three ODIs against Pakistan from November 4-10 in what is Australia’s final 50-over series before next year’s Champions Trophy.
All-rounder Mitch Marsh, who led Australia’s T20 side and captained the ODI outfit in Cummins’ absence, is set to miss out as he is on paternity leave, as is talismanic opener Travis Head.
PA