“I’ve always loved Steve Smith batting at No. 4" - Australian teammate does not want him to open in Tests

Steve Smith had been Australia's designated No. 4 batter in Tests for a long time. The 35-year-old had an unprecedented amount of success in that position as he has scored plenty of runs all around the world.

But after the retirement of David Warner, Smith expressed his desire to open the innings in Test cricket.

As a result, the Australian team management allowed Smith to open the innings alongside Usman Khawaja. Unfortunately, the results haven't been in his favor yet but he is likely to continue in that role.

While it was a risky decision, Smith still believes that he can excel in this role. However, his opening partner Usman Khawaja has different opinions and feels that Smith should bat at No. 4 because of his prior success in that spot.

Also read: Babar Azam's batting spot confirmed for the Test series against Bangladesh

Usman Khawaja does not want Steve Smith to open in Tests

While speaking to Fox Cricket, Usman Khawaja reckoned that Steve Smith should come at No. 4 rather than opening the innings.

He further explained his point by saying that Smith averages over 60 while batting in that position.

“I’m not sure what the top six is going to be this summer. I’ve always loved Steve Smith batting at No. 4, I haven’t shied away from that. I know Steve Smith can score runs at one, two, three, four, five, or six, but the man averages 60 at four, so my preference has always been Smudge (Steve Smith) at four," Khawaja stated.

The left-handed opener further mentioned that the opposition bowlers get a chance to dismiss Smith early with the new ball when Smith comes out to open.

“I love seeing him come in at No. 4 … you get two wickets, and who do you get walking in? The best batsman in the world. When you put him up to open, I feel like you’re kind of giving them a chance to get at him early,” Khawaja elaborated.

Steve Smith's numbers as a Test opener

Steve Smith's numbers have dipped considerably ever since he started to open the innings in Tests. He has scored just 171 runs in eight Test innings at an average of 28.50 in this position. The right-hander has played against West Indies and New Zealand so far as an opener.

But Smith also had one positive while opening the batting as he scored a gritty 91* in the historic day-night Test match at Gabba against West Indies. Unfortunately, Australia went on to lose this match thanks to Shamar Joseph's brilliance with the ball.

Steve Smith likely to open in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25

Steve Smith was once considered almost invincible off his pads and hardly missed a ball. But he has been dismissed LBW on three occasions and has twice beaten on the inside edge in these eight innings, which raises concerns about his position.

Australia's chairman of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that Smith is unlikely to move back to No. 4 for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.

Thus, Steve Smith is likely to face a stern test against a top-class Indian bowling attack, which is likely to consist of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami.