The whole cricket world is experiencing the thrills of the T20 World Cup. Teams have been playing the white ball cricket for quite a few times now. But cricket enthusiasts are set to experience another thrilling edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But before entering the Red Ball arena, Australia’s opening position in the Test format is raising concerns. After Warner’s retirement, Steve Smith was opening with Usman Khwaja. He is uncertain about whether Steven Smith will feature as an opener in the Test match for Australia, questioning if this is the best combination.
Warner’s Absence and Khawaja on Smith’s Opening position:
The Test format is one of the most exciting formats. In this format, Australia’s domination is unbelievable. Australia is preparing to host India for a four-match Test series starting on November 22. One of the key topics of discussion leading up to the series will be Australia’s batting lineup. Australia’s formidable opener David Warner has retired from the longest format after the Test series against Pakistan earlier this year.
Smith took over from Warner and partnered with Usman Khawaja as an opener during Australia’s two-match Test series against New Zealand in February. While talking about this, Khawaja mentioned that he likes playing with Smith but isn’t certain if pairing up with the seasoned star is their best opening combination.
Khwaja said, “I get along with Steve Smith well. I have known him since I was 14. I enjoy batting with him. Is it the best opening combination for Australia not sure. It is an interesting question. There are four months before the first Test match. It would be silly to not have conversations about our best top six, in terms of what order.”
On the Upcoming Changes in the Team:
After Warner departed from the longest format, making a perfect team combination became a headache for the Australian management. As the big series are lined up, they need to create the perfect combination so that the team can benefit from it. Already a few experiments happened in the team. Khawaja anticipates minimal lineup changes for the India series, except venue-based adjustments to field their strongest possible team against the opposition.
He said, “I do not expect the Australian team to change too much for the series. It has been a similar team for the last couple of years, except for Davey, going out. The top six and bowlers are settled. It would be about what selectors, coaches, and captain think about what is the best make-up of the team. The conversations are about what is the best team for this venue, who is the best bowler.”
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