Former Australia captain Steve Smith will return to his customary number-four position in the five-Test series against India for the Border Gavaskar Trophy, and his former teammate Shane Watson feels that batting at his preferred slot will help Smith to bring out his A game.
The five-Test series begins in Perth on November 22.
Following the confirmation of Nathan McSweeney as Usman Khawaja's opening partner in Test cricket, Smith will return to his usual batting position as the leader of the middle-order.
How India can qualify for World Test Championship final
Smith's promotion to opener after David Warner's retirement proved unsuccessful for Australia, as he managed only 171 runs across four Tests at 28.50, with his highest score being an unbeaten 91 against West Indies.
"Steve wanted to open. He was super keen to take up a new challenge. But one thing with that opportunity he had was he wasn’t actually batting at his best at that time. So he got an opportunity to open and Steve Smith at his very best would have made the most out of it because he just loves scoring runs whether it is opening or at No. 4," Watson said on Willow Talk Cricket Podcast.
"You could see a few times he got out when he was opening -- his game and his technique was a little bit off."
Smith should shades of his usual self in the two knocks he played in the ODI series against Pakistan. However, the Aussies lost the series, suffering their first series defeat against Pakistan in 22 years.
"In the one-day series (against Pakistan), in one of the innings at the MCG -- wow, it looked like the very best of him. He had so much time and had all the shots. I’m confident that Smith will bring that version of him into this summer and whether he bats at No. 4 or opening, he will score runs,” Watson added.
Smith scored 44 and 35 runs in his two knocks
Throughout his Test career spanning 109 matches, Smith has amassed 9,685 runs whilst maintaining a remarkable average of 56.97. His stellar performance includes 32 hundreds and 41 fifties in the longest format of the game.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment