Steve Smith likely to open innings for Australia in Tests – Reports

Steve Smith is likely to be the next Test opener for Australia. The star batter has been willing to take up new responsibility for Australia in the longest format of the game. It has been evident that Australia would be looking for a replacement for David Warner who recently retired from Test cricket after playing his farewell Test at Sydney against Pakistan.

The Southpaw was a giant in the Test setup for Australia. The fact that opening the innings is the toughest job one could do in the format asks for a batter with a success rate and reliability. In the last year or so, Smith’s numbers have not been impressive in the middle order. Hence, a new role might also do wonders for him to return to his self-best in the format he thrives.

Many have liked the idea of Smith opening the innings for Australia. The biggest of them all was the former Australian captain, Michael Clarke, under whose leadership Smith made his strides in the longest format of the game. It was in 2013 that Clarke promoted Smith up the order and changed the fortunes of the star batter forever. Now Smith is ready to take different strides in his career.

Steve Smith up for the task!

Clarke believed that Smith could be the guy who can open the innings for Australia. In the absence of Warner, Clarke believed that Smith could go up the ranks and soon become the best test opener in a year or so. The former Australian captain also believed in the class of the star batter and claimed him to be the guy to break the record of 400 runs scored by Brian Lara in a Test innings.

The statement from Clarke came after Smith himself showed his interest in opening the innings for Australia in Test cricket. When asked if he would love to open the innings, Smith had claimed that he would not mind doing the job for the sake of the team. Given the calibre of Smith, one would not mind going with it as an option.