NEW DELHI: Australian batsman Steve Smith explained that his decision to take up the opening position after
David Warner
's retirement is straightforward - he doesn't like to wait for his batting.
Despite other contenders in the team, such as Travis Head, the white-ball opener, and players like
Marnus Labuschagne
and Mitchell Marsh, who have experience in opening in white-ball cricket, Smith volunteered to lead from the top.
The revamped lineup, sans Warner, is set to debut in the two-match Test series against West Indies starting on January 17 at Adelaide.
The selectors opted for Smith as the opener, thereby creating an opening for batting all-rounder
Cameron Green
to reclaim the number four spot. Green had been on the sidelines in favour of the in-form Marsh.
While Smith has never opened in Test cricket or his 16-year first-class career, he is familiar with facing the challenges posed by the new, swinging ball. In the 2019 Ashes, Smith encountered numerous Tests with the new ball, typically waiting until the 23rd over for his turn at Lord's. Throughout the series, he batted at number four, amassing an impressive 774 runs in four matches with three centuries and three fifties.
"Since I guess Marnus [Labuschagne] has been playing at number three, I have been waiting to bat for quite a long period of time and I do not really like waiting to bat," Smith told Fox Cricket while playing for Sydney Sixers as quoted by ESPNCricinfo on Friday.
"So I thought, why do not I put my hand up and have a crack up top and that way you can get Cameron Green in and you are playing your six best batters so hopefully it works out," he added.
Smith is excited to face the new ball and feels that his success in the 2019 Ashes is something he can always look upto for inspiration.
"I am [excited]. I like facing the newer ball. I think if you look back to the 2019 Ashes I was in pretty early most of the time there where I was facing the new ball. I batted number three for a number of years as well and was in early and did pretty well against the new ball so it is nothing new or foreign to me. You know I enjoy getting in there and getting amongst it and yeah, I am looking forward to that challenge," he added.
Warner, who recently retired from Test and ODI cricket after facing Pakistan in a three-match Test series, feels that Smith is at an advantage will opening as more conventional bowling and tactics early in the innings will let him score with freedom.
In recent years, opponents have chalked out many plans against Smith, like bouncers from round the wicket, stacked leg-side fields, which though have not led to his dismissal, but have stemmed his scoring rate.
"He likes to walk cross and get onto the legside and get it away there," Warner said.
"People have been bowling short to him when he first gets in. But he finds a way. Early on, they are going to try and swing the ball and pitch the ball up. And he is going to be allowed to get into his game and his game plan. Get into the rhythm of how he wants to bat and he can dictate. So I am actually looking forward to seeing how he goes," he added.
Warner said that he feels that Smith and Usman Khawaja have an year or two in Test and they can play in the 2025-26 Ashes at home. Matt Renshaw has been earmarked as a future opener but Warner has backed Green's return to the side.
"It is a good taste for Greeny...24 years of age," he said.
"They are going to have to look for two new guys up the top [of] the order. But to get that No. 4 replacement as well, that is your foundation at three and four. So if they can knuckle that down, they have got a base in the middle. Then they just have a look for some more openers," he concluded.
(With ANI Inputs)
English (US) ·