Mojo regained!

If anybody wants proof that opening the batting is an altogether different examination, then Smith’s travails as an opener and his return to the heavy scoring batter that he was when he went back to the No. 4 position, is a very telling example

Last year after David Warner retired from international cricket there was a vacancy created at the top of the order of the Australian opening batting. Warner had been a stalwart of the Australian batting for a long time in all three formats of the game and it was always surprising that when people talked about the Fab Four why they didn’t add his name and make it a Fab Five, so consistent his performances were for Australia. But guess when it comes to discussing batters, the openers are not considered among the rankings. How wrong that assumption is can be seen by the following few words.

Bold move

After Warner’s retirement, the Aussie selectors were in a dilemma who to pick as his replacement and partner Usman Khawaja. There were some candidates who had played for Australia earlier, but not with the kind of success and consistency that was expected of them. This is where Steve Smith who had incredible success at No. 4 raised his hand and offered to open the batting for Australia. It was a strange request considering the giant things he had achieved at the No. 4 position. The Australian selectors had earmarked Cameron Green to bat at No. 4, so they accepted Smith’s decision and gave him the opener’s slot.

Also Read: DC huff and puff to two-wicket win over MI in WPL thriller

What happened? Smith opened in about a dozen Tests or so and his highest score was 91 not out.

So when the 2024-25 season began Smith was back to the No. 4 position since the Australians thought they had found a good replacement in Nathan McSweeney and later Sam Konstas. Smith struggled in the first two Tests against the Indian pacers led by the inimitable Jasprit Bumrah. In the third Test at the Gabba, he changed his technique back to where he had achieved enormous success. The back and across movement was changed to just across the crease towards the off-stump and with Travis Head bludgeoning the ball at the other end, Smith was able to regain his mojo. He got a hundred and followed up with another hundred and a 50-plus score in the next couple of Test matches. Then, when the Australians went to Sri Lanka he hit tons in both the Test matches batting at No. 4 again.

Down the order, not so testing

If anybody wants proof that opening the batting is an altogether different examination, then Smith’s travails as an opener and his return to the heavy scoring batter that he was when he went back to the No. 4 position is a very telling example. Not for a moment is it being suggested that batting down the order is easier, but it’s certainly not as testing as when confronted with fast bowlers with a new ball in their hands and the pitch fresh and unknown especially while batting on Day One.

There are many examples of middle-order batters who have gone up the order to open the batting and have been successful, so it’s not that middle-order batters can’t play the new ball.

6,531
No. of runs scored by Steve Smith at No. 4 in 74 Tests at an average of 61.61

Professional Management Group

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!