Steve Smith's opening slot in question after string of poor performances

The most burning question that is making the rounds with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy approaching between Australia and India, is will Steve Smith continue in his role as a Test opener. With the series set to begin on November 22, Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald has hinted at ongoing discussions but remains noncommittal about the final decision.

Smith, one of the finest Test batters, took up the opening position following David Warner's retirement. However, his performance in this new role has been less than stellar. In four Tests as an opener in 2024, the veteran batter has managed just 171 runs at an average of 28.50, a far cry from his career average of 56.97. This dip in form has many experts doubt his role as an opener. McDonald acknowledged the widespread interest in Smith's batting position.

"That's the question on everyone's lips, isn't it? Whilst we've got an eye on it, we haven't made any firm decisions around that one. There’s plenty of speculation around that. But in the background, I'd be lying if I said the conversation wasn't happening. There are conversations around a lot of what ifs in terms of that Test summer that is to come," McDonald told SEN.

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If we make shift with Steve Smith, someone else will go to top: Andrew McDonald

His first match as an opener came against the West Indies in Adelaide in January of this year. Since then, Smith has only managed one fifty-plus score, raising concerns about his suitability for the role. Despite these concerns, McDonald hinted that Australia's top six batters, including Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Cameron Green, and Mitchell Marsh, are likely to retain their places in the XI for the India series. However, he also mentioned the possibility of reshuffling the order, noting Cameron Green's success at number four.

"Clearly, if we make a shift with Steve Smith, then someone else will have to go to the top. We've seen Cameron Green be really successful at number four as well. So that sort of adds layers to the decision-making. But nothing is firm and fixed on at the moment," the 43-year-old continued.

The upcoming Sheffield Shield season, starting October 8 will play a crucial role in finalizing the Test team composition. McDonald indicated that the national team management would communicate their plans to New South Wales coach Greg Shipperd, allowing them to assess Smith's progress in domestic cricket.

“We'll unveil everything, and we'll let (NSW coach) Greg Shipperd know what our plans are and then we'll see what he does with his New South Wales side should Steve Smith play Shield cricket," he concluded.