Image Credit- CA
After Steven Smith’s
mediocre start to the position, Tim Paine, a former captain of Australia,
thinks that opposing teams will be delighted to see him stick with it as the
opening batsman. However, Paine does not see any changes coming for the India
series later this year.
Despite a lacklustre tour to New Zealand, where Smith amassed 51 runs at a
12.75 rpm, Paine remained optimistic that Smith could succeed in the role,
albeit he was unsure if bowlers would be as afraid of his new job. In
Christchurch, Smith was leg before wicket twice. In the first innings, he gave
Ben Sears the shoulder, and in the second, Matt Henry’s nip-backer trapped him.
“I look at it,
that if I was playing against Australia, where would I prefer Steve Smith to
bat? If I’m the opposition, I want him opening the batting,” Paine told
ESPN’s Around The Wicket. “I want my best bowlers at their freshest with a
brand new ball. I was in that Ashes in 2019 and went to England with him in
another one and when he was at his best batting at four you just felt he
couldn’t get out.
“I would love to see him succeed as an opener, I think he can, there’s no
doubt about that, he’s good enough to bat anywhere, but as an opposition player
I want him at the top of the order because that gives me the best chance of
getting him out.”
Cameron Green was
able to return to the top spot at No. 4 when Smith was promoted to take David
Warner’s place due to his retirement, and he scored an incredible 174 against
Wellington in the opening Test.
The head coach, Andrew McDonald, stated that it was “unfair” to
criticise Smith’s early returns in the new position and that it was
inappropriate to judge him based just on four Tests. Australia’s next Test
match is scheduled for late November against India, who may send Mohammed
Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah as a speed assault.
“I don’t think
anything changes,” Paine said of Australia’s batting order. “[Smith]
is probably one of three or four players who has ever played for Australia who
can probably do what he’s doing at the moment. He’s earned the right, in my opinion,
to bat wherever he wants and if he wants, and is driven enough, to be
Australia’s Test opener I think he’ll make it work and you’ll see him come out
next summer and dominate.”