Australia's coach, Andrew McDonald, believes the top six batsmen who concluded the previous test season are likely to kick off the highly-anticipated five-match series against India later this year, though their positions may not necessarily remain the same. Steve Smith shifted from number four to open the batting following David Warner's Test retirement midway through last season, and McDonald stated that it's not yet certain whether Smith will retain this position.
"While we're considering it, we haven't made any definitive decisions on that front," McDonald told SEN radio from England on Wednesday. "We've already had initial discussions in Sydney about our plans for the summer, which delve into depth bowling and all the hypothetical scenarios we always contemplate." Evidently, if there's a change involving Steve Smith, someone else will need to move to the top. Cameron Green has also been highly successful at number four, adding complexity to the decision-making process.
However, nothing is set in stone at the moment. Although Smith didn't make a significant impact as an opener, Green scored an unbeaten 174 against New Zealand at number four in the last series of the previous season. Regardless of the selectors' decision on whether Smith should open, his position in the team alongside Green, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, and Mitchell Marsh seems secure.
"We've discussed this, and we still strongly believe in the best six batters," he added. "We feel that the team that finished in New Zealand, if they get a clear run and are well-prepared, would be the best-suited players to fill those roles, without a doubt." McDonald mentioned that Australia would prioritize the series against India during the home summer and might rest Test players from the white-ball series against Pakistan preceding it, allowing them to play red-ball cricket in the Sheffield Shield.
The India series commences in Perth on November 22, with Tests following in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. Australia hasn't triumphed over India in a Test series since 2014.
