Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has endorsed star batter Steve Smith to keep opening the batting in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. The much-anticipated five-match Test series will begin in Perth on November 22.
A significant focus leading up to the series has been whether Smith should remain an opener or revert to his usual middle-order position. Following David Warner’s retirement earlier this year, Smith opted to open alongside Usman Khawaja to allow Australia to include all-rounders Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh.
While Green’s match-winning century in New Zealand somewhat validated this decision, Smith’s performance has struggled. The 35-year-old has averaged below 29 with just one half-century in eight innings as an opener.
While addressing the media during the launch of the International Masters League, Watson was cited by India Today as saying:
“Steve Smith made the call to be able to go and open, and I think he should stay there. Cameron Green came in and batted at No 4 and did a brilliant job. The hundred that he got in New Zealand for something very special. He’s the perfect No 4 candidate now with the future moving forward.”
He further added:
“The reason why he (Smith) didn’t do so well over the previous couple of Test matches is that he was a little bit off with his technique. Just a little bit off, which led to him getting out in ways I’ve never really seen before.”
Steve Smith boasts an impressive average of 61.50, having scored 5,966 runs in 111 innings at No. 4 in Tests, solidifying his status as one of the best long-format batters of his generation.
“Once bowlers like Starc, Hazlewood, and Cummins find their rhythm, they are extremely resilient”- Shane Watson
Shane Watson expressed confidence in veteran Australian pacers Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc to handle the physical demands of the five-match Test series, highlighting their resilience and fitness throughout their careers.
Although all three are over 30, they will need to shoulder a significant workload to help Australia overcome recent Test challenges against India.
“One thing that they’ve shown throughout their careers, especially in the last four or five years, is how incredibly resilient they are. Once bowlers like Starc, Hazlewood, and Cummins get up and going, they are very resilient. They are hard-bodied and Test-match-fit bowlers, which is every fast bowler’s dream,” said Watson.
Australia’s last Test encounter with India was a victory in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final. However, they have lost the last four bilateral Test series against India, including the last two at home in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
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