Steve Smith has backflipped on opening the batting for the Australian Test side and has succeed in his bid to move back down the order against India this summer.
The Aussies’ plans were thrown into disarray when it emerged Cameron Green required back surgery and would be ruled out for the rest of the season.
But it has been revealed the injury in fact relieved the selectors of some pressure after Smith already declared he wanted to return to the middle order.
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Green took over from Smith at No.4 when the latter replaced the retired David Warner at the top midway through last summer.
While Smith struggled as an opener relative to his best, Green thrived and scored a career-best 174 not out against New Zealand in Wellington.
The results left Smith at a crossroads given he had himself pushed for the opportunity to challenge himself but he has now secured his place in the batting line-up.
“I think Pat, Andrew and Steve have been having ongoing conversations, separate to the untimely injury to Cameron anyway,” chief selector George Bailey said on Monday.
“I think Steve had expressed a desire to move back down from that opening position.
“Pat and Andrew have confirmed that he’ll be dropping back down the order for the summer, so clearly we’ve got a No.4 spot to fill and an opening spot to fill.”
Bailey confirmed there had been talks about fitting Smith and Green into the same batting line-up but declined to reveal what decision would have been taken.
“I think it’s moot,” he said.
“We’ve got another four weeks till that Test squad’s announced, and what exact order and who is in it is still to be determined.”
Potential opener Matt Renshaw has not been named in the Australia A squad for matches against India A.
But Bailey said the Queenslander, along with Nic Maddison and Peter Handscomb, will be watched closely in the Sheffield Shield.
NSW teenager Sam Konstas is the bolter in the A squad after scoring two centuries in the Shield last week.
More to come…
